Israel at war: What happened on day 23?

The White House pushed on Sunday for a humanitarian pause to the Gaza war and stressed the importance of protecting Palestinian civilians, even as it underscored Israel’s right to eliminate Hamas’s terror threat.

“It is important for Israel to distinguish between going after terrorist targets, to take out terrorists who continue to threaten Israel, and going after civilians,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.

For the past two weeks, Arad resident Sandra Peltz has been spending her time in the Dead Sea region. The members of Kibbutz Be’eri who survived the massacre carried out by Hamas terrorists on October 7 have been relocated to hotels in Ein Bokek. She is the one who has been tasked to inform them when a new body is identified.

It took some time for her to gain the trust of the close-knit community, Peltz said.

"One kibbutz girl told me, 'Take off your vest and then talk to us. The state has neglected us, and we do not want to engage with any of you'," she recalled. 

In the initial days, the kibbutz members compiled their own list, identifying those injured or presumed murdered. 

(credit: official site)

Over time, Peltz established a relationship of trust with the community and they agreed to work with her.

The social worker emphasizes the importance of certainty before confirming a death, even if kibbutz residents claim to have witnessed a murder. As she walks the hotel corridors, people avert their gaze, anticipating the difficult news she may bring.

The funerals of kibbutz members began last week, as the bodies were recovered. 

Families continue to grapple with the mystery surrounding the disappearance of loved ones. 

(credit: official site)

In several cases, although some residents claim to have seen people dying, no bodies have been found to confirm these testimonies. 

"I have experienced many challenging moments here, but I try to keep myself busy," said Peltz, whose daughter serves as a soldier at the Zikim base.

Dreading receiving bad news herself, the social worker spends as much time as possible outside her room.

The trauma of children

Peltz said that one of the most difficult aspects of her job is interacting with children. 

She recalled working with a child whose parents and many relatives are missing.

(credit: official site)

She recalled working with a child whose parents and many relatives are missing.

Given permission by the grandparents to obtain a DNA sample from the child, Peltz had to step in when the child expressed fear of the uniformed policeman. 

Removing her vest and name tag, she conducted the sampling herself while both she and the child shed tears.

Peltz collaborates closely with the kibbutz leadership, but sometimes, she has needed to guide them as well. 

A family of five had only one body identified, and the kibbutz requested that the social worker wait until all family members were confirmed dead before delivering the news altogether. 

However, she urged them to notify the family without delay, as the information might otherwise come from a different source.

In another instance, a family inadvertently received the news through a friend instead of Peltz. The woman requested an official call from her, stating that until she heard the news from Peltz, she would not believe it.  

“One never gets accustomed to delivering such information, even if they have already done it dozens of times,” Peltz stated.

The head of the Jewish Agency in North America expressed deep distress over certain American Jews rationalizing violence, glorifying Hamas, and equating Israelis with Nazis, on an X thread during the weekend. Dan Elbaum, the President and CEO of the Jewish Agency in North America, explained that despite his hope for the repentance of these Jews, he admitted he has emotionally distanced himself from them. Elbaum related to the recent Hamas massacre on October 7th in Southern Israel and the current war.

🧵- the hardest thing that I have ever written.

I never thought I would say what I am about to say.

— Dan Elbaum (@dan_elbaum) October 27, 2023

"I never thought I would say what I am about to say," began Elbaum, in a forthright Twitter thread where he expressed deep distress and concerns about certain segments of the American Jewish community and their views on Israel.

Elbaum, emphasizing his personal views, stated, "I have spent and will continue to spend, my professional life seeking to advocate for Jewish unity and connecting all Jews to Israel and each other."

He lauded the global Jewish community's overwhelming support for Israel, especially in the wake of the tragic events of October 7. "Since that day, when 1,400 Jews were slaughtered, I have been overwhelmed by the unity and support for Israel of the global Jewish community," shared Elbaum.

However, his thread pointed to a concerning minority within the American Jewish community, identifying specific progressive left-wing American Jewish organizations. "I have also seen another group of American Jews. These include but are not limited to, members of IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace," he noted. 

People demonstrate as they take part in civil disobedience and a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 18, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/LEAH MILLIS)

'I am not talking about criticism of Israel's policies.'

IfNotNow is a small American Jewish group opposing what they see as “the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” demonstrating against entities they perceive as supporting the occupation through direct actions and media appearances. The group is often characterized as progressive or far-left.

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is a US-based anti-Zionist, left-wing organization formed in 1996, supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. The group, which declared itself anti-Zionist in 2019, criticizes what they see as Israel's human rights violations and endorses the BDS movement.

Elbaum clarified his stance, "To be very clear, I am not talking about American Jews who have expressed sympathy for Palestinians or have criticized Israeli policies. I am also sympathetic. I have also been critical."

His concerns grew when discussing individuals who rationalized acts of extreme violence: "I am talking about American Jews who say that the act of killing 1,400 Jews was consistent with the 'Palestinian right to resist'."

He also conveyed his dismay over those "who proudly use a heroic image of a paraglider – lionizing the Hamas murderers" and those who "call Israelis Nazis and accuse them of acts of genocide."

Reaching a poignant resolution, Elbaum admitted, "As much as I would not like to give up on a single Jew, I have given up on them. For me, they are deserving of cherem [formal exclusion from the Jewish people]."

Elbaum concluded, "I hope they see what they have become and offer some repentance. I am not that religious a person, but I do pray that God forgives them for their actions. I, for one, do not believe that I ever will.”

As Israel engages in a genocidal assault on Gaza, the CEO of the Jewish agency is slandering Jewish anti war protestors, lying about what we have said and done, wishing us dead and out of the community. This is how far off the deep end pro Israel Jewish “leaders” have become. https://t.co/AZxMPyY0g7

— Simone Zimmerman 🔥 (@simonerzim) October 28, 2023

Simone Zimmerman, co-founder of IfNotNow responded to Elbaum’s tweet on X and wrote: “As Israel engages in a genocidal assault on Gaza, the CEO of the Jewish Agency is slandering Jewish anti-war protestors, lying about what we have said and done, wishing us dead and out of the community. This is how far off the deep end pro-Israel Jewish ‘leaders’ have become.”

A number of rockets fired from Lebanon fell in an open area near Mount Dov, prompting the IDF to fire on the launch locations, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said Sunday.

The US response in support of Israel in its war against Hamas caught the Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist group off guard, a Hamas official told The Financial Times.

Speaking from his office in Beirut, senior Hamas political leadership member Ali Barakeh told the UK news outlet that they "didn't expect this much of a response" from the US.

"An Israeli response? Yes, we expected that. But what we're seeing now is the entrance of the US into the battle, and this we didn't count on," he said, according to The Financial Times.

These statements come after the US diverted many of its forces to the area amid Israel's launching of Operation Swords of Iron, the latest war with Hamas.

How has the US helped Israel in its war with Hamas?

On October 8, just a day after the war began, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the US would move a carrier strike group, featuring the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, closer to Israel. Days later, it mulled sending a second aircraft carrier to the area, as well as fighter jets being added to the region and munitions being sent to the IDF. 

Large-scale missile defense drill comes amid spike in tensions between Israel and her enemies; Homefront Command holds missile barrage drill in schools across the country (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Later in the month, the US sent Lt.-Gen. James Glynn, a three-star US Marines general, and other military officers to help Israel plan its ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.

Iran, who funds Hamas, has taken notice of the US support for Israel and has threatened that it would be attacked unless Israel stops attacking Gaza.

In addition, US forces in the region have been under fire in recent weeks by Iran-backed militia.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.

The Israel Defense Forces has recorded several achievements since it launched its ground operation within the northern Gaza Strip, military sources said.

In the past few days, forces entered the area while targeting terrorist tunnels from the air, ground, and land. In the second stage, the troops began rapid operations to control extensive sites and clear buildings. In recent days, the IDF has strengthened its presence in the Palestinian territory and started building a security barrier that successfully keeps Hamas terrorists and mortar shells away.

According to military sources, during searches, military positions were identified, from which terrorist cells opened fire at the entrenched forces, and very deep tunnels were discovered.

An Israeli artillery unit is stationed near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, October 28, 2023. (AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)

The IDF has maintained secrecy regarding the exposure of these tunnels.

According to reports coming from the area and published by Ynet, "As part of the IDF's ground activity, they have been conducting intensive fire in the Gaza Strip, which has not been seen to this extent since the Yom Kippur War.

"So far, we haven't encountered significant resistance; they mainly engage in long-range firing. They are hesitant to confront the forces and maintain a substantial barrier of fire. There hasn't been any close combat. Nobody underestimates the enemy, and there is no complacency at any stage. Still, we also don't forget that we are dealing with terrorists who are thugs to infants, children, and Holocaust survivors.

"Meanwhile, their primary focus is trying to inflict damage with long-range fire."

'Plenty of surprises'

A military source summarized: "The forces in the field are preparing for many scenarios. At each step, we are very well-prepared. As we approach densely populated areas, the fighting will become more complex, and we are ready for that, too.

"As Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said, 'We are preparing surprises for them.'"

Ukraine's embassy in Tel Aviv called on Israel to ban Russian TV stations nationwide on Sunday, following statements broadcast by these stations claiming Kyiv was arming Hamas.

"This is news that the Russian government spreads with the intention of accusing Ukraine of being a part of the Russians' struggle against Israeli people," the embassy said in a statement shared on Facebook.

Adding that Ukraine fully supports Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas, the embassy said that "there is no situation in which weapons from Ukraine will reach Hamas," blasting the claims to the contrary as being Russian propaganda.

The embassy further cited a recent decision to stop the activity of the Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera in the country due to its coverage of Israel's current war in the Gaza Strip.

Has Ukraine been supporting Hamas with weapons?

The claim that Ukraine has been arming Hamas terrorists was spread by accounts on social media and by Russian officials.

Deputy head of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev speaks during an interview with Russian media at a residence outside Moscow, Russia, March 23, 2023. (credit: SPUTNIK/YEKATERINA SHTUKINA/POOL VIA REUTERS)

Most notable among them is Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and close ally of President Vladimir Putin.

In a statement on his official Telegram account, Medvedev claimed that the weapons sent by NATO members to Ukraine are being used in Israel.

These claims have also been circulating from other notable public figures, including US Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who on X, formerly Twitter, claimed that Ukraine and Afghanistan could be supplying US weapons to Hamas to use against Israel.

"Did they come from Afghanistan? Did they come from Ukraine?" Taylor Greene wrote on X just a day after Hamas's October 7 invasion of Israel. "Highly likely the answer is both."

Further purported evidence of this link is a supposed BBC clip spread on social media claiming that investigative journalism and OSINT group Bellingcat verified that Ukraine was sending weapons to Hamas.

We're aware of a fake BBC video circulating on social media falsely claiming that Bellingcat has verified Ukrainian weapons sales to Hamas. We've reached no such conclusions or made any such claims. We'd like to stress that this is a fabrication and should be treated accordingly. pic.twitter.com/kX7R8ZVPzr

— Bellingcat (@bellingcat) October 10, 2023

However, this was debunked by Bellingcat themselves, who took to social media saying that the video was a forgery and that all the claims were false.

"It's unclear if this is a Russian government disinformation campaign or a grassroots effort, but it's 100% fake," said Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins.

BBC fact-checking unit reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh also stressed that the video is a hoax and is not based on any BBC or Bellingcat reporting.

Meanwhile, Russia has also been hosting Hamas members in an official capacity, having welcomed a Hamas delegation in Moscow on October 26, a visit that was confirmed both by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova and by Hamas themselves.

Ukraine has also accused Russia of having had a role in Hamas's attack on Israel. In statements, Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) head Kyrylo Budanov accused Russia of helping train the Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist group in tactics, citing their drone strikes on armored vehicles as being a sign of Russian training. Budanov also claimed that a Russian reconnaissance satellite was moved to orbit over Israel just a week before Hamas attacked, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Just days after the war began, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) also accused Russia of sending Western weapons captured in Ukraine to Hamas as part of a plot to discredit Kyiv.

Israel Police officers are currently at the scene of a rocket hit in Rishon Lezion.

At this time there are no known casualties.

The death toll in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has risen to 8,005 people, including 3,342 children, since the fighting began on October 7, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized on Sunday morning for a statement on Saturday night attacking the defense, and especially intelligence, forces.

טעיתי. דברים שאמרתי בעקבות מסיבת העיתונאים לא היו צריכים להיאמר ואני מתנצל על כך. אני נותן גיבוי מלא לכל ראשי זרועות הביטחון. אני מחזק את הרמטכ״ל ואת מפקדי וחיילי צה״ל שנמצאים בחזית ונלחמים על הבית. יחד ננצח.

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 29, 2023

The tweet was posted after Netanyahu refused to explicitly admit that he bears some responsibility for October 7 when pressed during a press conference. At the conference, the prime minister only said that everyone would have to give the public answers, including him.

הבוקר הזה במיוחד אני מבקש לגבות ולחזק את כל גורמי הביטחון וחיילי צה"ל – כולל הרמטכ״ל, ראש אמ"ן וראש השב"כ. כשאנחנו נמצאים במלחמה, מנהיגות צריכה לגלות אחריות, להחליט לעשות את הדברים הנכונים ולחזק את הכוחות באופן שהם יוכלו לממש את שאנחנו דורשים מהם. כל פעולה או אמירה אחרת - פוגעות…

— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) October 29, 2023

Later, he tweeted in a post that put the blame on the defense and intelligence officials before deleting the tweet on Sunday morning shortly before his apology.

"At no point, was a warning given to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Hamas's intention to start a war," he wrote. "On the contrary, all the defense officials, including the heads of the Intelligence Directorate and the Shin Bet, assessed that Hamas was deterred. This was the assessment submitted time after time to the prime minister and the cabinet by all the entities in the defense and the intelligence community right up until the war broke out."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Meanwhile, Netanyahu is one of the last defense and political leaders to refuse to take responsibility for the attack. Multiple ministers and MKs in the coalition have taken responsibility, including Education Minister Yoav Kisch and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as have many leaders in the defense system.

Even people who weren't in the government when the attack happened have taken responsibility with former prime minister Naftali Bennett and former defense minister Benny Gantz both saying that they bore responsibility for the attack.

Netanyahu's post was met with criticism

Netanyahu's post was met with heavy criticism from throughout the Knesset with some urging Netanyahu to retract his statement while others reiterated their support for the defense system.

"When at war, leadership needs to behave responsibly, do all the right things and strengthen the forces in such a way that they can do what we need them to do," said Gantz. "Any other action or statement harms the abilities of the people and its forces. The prime minister must retract his statement from last night and stop dealing with the issue."

He ended by telling the defense forces that he loves, appreciates, and supports them.

Smotrich also spoke out against Netanyahu's statement saying that weakening the IDF's commanders was wrong. He added that now was the time to be responsible and support and strengthen one another even when they're wrong.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu had crossed a red line with his statement.

"While the IDF is heroically fighting against Hamas and Hezbollah, he's working on attempts to put the blame on them instead of backing them up," he said. "The attempts to escape responsibility and put the blame on the defense system weakens the IDF while it's fighting Israel's enemies."

He also posted a video of a statement he made just before Yom Kippur where he said he had been warned by defense officials that Israel was about to find itself in a multi-front war.

"The intelligence materials that I was basing off of were given to Netanyahu as well," he added. "Those who gave the intelligence were the same defense people that Netanyahu is now blaming for not warning him."

"At midnight, when our soldiers are in Gaza or in the area, it's best to pray for them and support them," said National Unity Minister Chili Tropper. "We definitely shouldn't be settling scores with them."

After the criticism, Netanyahu tweeted that he was wrong to make the statement and that the defense forces have his full support.