Israel at War: What happened on Day 55?

A bombshell report by the New York Times claims that Israeli officials had a detailed, approximately 40-page document outlining "point by point" the plans for a Hamas attack on Israeli soil, but dismissed the plan as aspirational and beyond the group's capacities.

The document, which authorities codenamed "Jericho Wall," is reported to have outlined "a methodical assault" in which drones would attack Israel's surveillance system as terrorists entered the country on foot and using paragliders and motorcycles under the cover of a barrage of rockets.

The document is also said to have included the locations and sizes of IDF forces in the area, and specifically stated as an objective to overwhelm the military base in Re'im, the site of the nature party on October 7 that was targeted early in the attack. At the top of the document was a quotation from the Qur'an: "Surprise them through the gate. If you do, you will certainly prevail." 

The plans "circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders," the report says. The IDF's Gaza division wrote an assessment of it, reporting plans for "a new raid, unprecedented in its scope," but concluding that the plans were a "compass," detailing Hamas's ambitions for the future, rather than an immediate plan of action. 

Pictures of the participants of the Nova party who were murdered and kidnapped by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023 are displayed at the site of the Nova music festival massacre, in Re'im, near the Israeli-Gaza border, November 28, 2023 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Colonel called the plans "totally imaginative," said to "wait patiently"

Then, in July 2023, the IDF's signal intelligence division, Unit 8200, reported that Hamas had been spotted conducting training exercises that mirrored the blueprint in "Jericho Wall," including exercises to simulate shooting down Israeli airplanes, occupying a kibbutz, and overrunning a military base.

During the exercise, Hamas terrorists used the same quotation from the Quran that appeared at the top of the "Jericho Wall" document. The Unit 8200 analyst who wrote the report warned that Hamas was building the capacity to put the plan into action, and that the exercises Hamas was engaged in closely reflected what was outlined in the document. 

The colonel who received the report apparently called the exercise "totally imaginative," saying, "in short, let's wait patiently."  

An internal debate followed, with others endorsing the analyst's warning. One even invoked the example of the Yom Kippur War, writing "We already underwent a similar experience 50 years ago on the southern front in connection with a scenario that seemed imaginary, and history may repeat itself if we are not careful."

That comparison has been ubiquitous in Israel since the first moments of the attack. 

A previous warning, also unheeded

"Jericho Wall" was not the first intelligence that had prompted such a debate, the Times reports. In September 2016, the Ministry of Defense prepared a top-secret memo, signed by then-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, warning of an invasion and hostage-taking operation by Hamas.

The memo outlined Hamas's purchases of drones, GPS jammers, and other sophisticated weaponry. It also reported that Hamas had swelled its fighting force by 6,000 men in two years, and aimed to grow it from 27,000 to 40,000 by 2020.

Rocket sirens sounded in Sderot and other Gaza border communities early Friday morning. The alerts come during what was reported to be an extension of Israel's ceasefire with Hamas. The IDF spokesperson's office confirmed that the alert was activated, and said that the details are under review. 

Negotiators worked feverishly on Friday to renew the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza as a senior Israeli official reiterated plans to resume the war unless the Palestinian terrorist group agreed to release more hostages.

After two last-minute extensions, the enemies marked on Thursday the seventh day of a Qatari-mediated truce with the exchange of eight hostages and 30 Palestinian prisoners as well as the infusion of more humanitarian aid into the shattered Gaza Strip.

The Wall Street Journal, citing Egyptian officials, said on Friday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to extend the truce for an eighth day in a deal that will involve the release of more Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report and there was no immediate comment from Israel or Hamas.

Mark Regev, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was open to continuing the ceasefire if Hamas committed to further hostage releases. Israel had previously set the release of 10 hostages a day as the minimum it would accept to pause its assault.

Israeli soldiers patrol near the Israeli-Gaza border, southern Israel, November 23, 2023. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90)

"We're ready for all possibilities.... Without that, we're going back to the combat," he said on CNN.

Before the prior truce was due to expire early on Thursday, Hamas and its ally, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, put their fighters on alert for a resumption of hostilities.

Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza, in response to the Oct. 7 rampage by the terrorist group, when Israel says gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages.

Israel retaliated with intense bombardment and a ground invasion. Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say more than 15,000 Gazans have been confirmed killed.

When the ceasefire first came into effect a week ago, Israel was preparing to turn the focus of its operation to southern Gaza after its relentless seven-week assault to the north.

Brother, sister teens released

With fewer Israeli women and children left in captivity, lengthening the truce could require setting new terms for Hamas to release Israeli men, including soldiers.

The terrorist group could in turn seek to have Palestinian male prisoners handed over. So far, three Palestinian prisoners have been freed for each Israeli hostage.

One of Qatar's lead negotiators, career diplomat Abdullah Al Sulaiti, who helped broker the truce through marathon shuttle negotiations, acknowledged in a recent Reuters interview the uncertain odds of keeping the guns silent.

"At the beginning I thought achieving an agreement would be the most difficult step," he said in an article that detailed the behind-the-scenes efforts for the first time. "I've discovered that sustaining the agreement itself is equally challenging."

Thursday's releases brought the totals freed during the truce to 105 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Among the newly released were six women aged 21 to 40 including one Mexican-Israeli dual national and 21-year-old Mia Schem, who holds both French and Israeli citizenship.

Photos released by the Israeli prime minister's office showed Schem, who was captured by Hamas along with others at an outdoor music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7, embracing her mother and brother after they were reunited at Hatzerim military base in Israel.

The other two newly released hostages were a brother and sister, Belal and Aisha al-Ziadna, aged 18 and 17 respectively, according to the Israeli prime minister's office. They are Bedouin Arab citizens of Israel and among four members of their family taken hostage while they were milking cows on a farm.

Israel agrees to protect civilians, Blinken says

The truce has allowed some humanitarian aid into Gaza after much of the coastal territory of 2.3 million people was reduced to wasteland in the Israeli assault.

More fuel and 56 trucks of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza on Thursday, Israel's defence ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

But deliveries of food, water, medical supplies and fuel remain far below what is needed, aid workers say.

At an emergency meeting in Amman, Jordan's King Abdullah on Thursday urged UN officials and international groups to pressure Israel to allow more aid into the beleaguered enclave, according to delegates.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel during his third visit to the Middle East since the war began, agreed that the flow of aid into Gaza was not sufficient.

Blinken said he told Netanyahu that Israel cannot repeat in south Gaza the massive civilian casualties and displacement of residents it inflicted in the north.

"We discussed the details of Israel's ongoing planning and I underscored the imperative for the United States that the massive loss of civilian life and displacement of the scale that we saw in northern Gaza not be repeated in the south," Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.

"And the Israeli Government agreed with that approach," he said. This would include concrete measures to avoid damaging critical infrastructure such as hospitals and water facilities and clearly designating safe zones, he said.

Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas terrorist group have agreed to extend a temporary truce for an eighth day, in a deal that will involve the release of more Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Egyptian officials.

There was no immediate comment from Israel or from Hamas.

The six Israeli hostages released by Hamas earlier tonight are arriving at medical centers across the country, where they each receive a preliminary medical examination and are reunited with their family members. The six join two other hostages who were released earlier in the day Thursday, before a series of delays, which Hamas claimed were logistical in nature, prolonged the process into the late night. 

A number of hostages are confirmed to have arrived at their respective destinations, which include the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, and the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan. 

The Soroka Hospital announced Friday that an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman who were released from Hamas captivity on Thursday had arrived at the medical center, where they received an initial medical examination and were reunited with their family members. 

Terrorists fired on an Israeli vehicle near Migdalim Junction in the West Bank late Thursday night. There were no casualties, and the Israeli reservist in the targeted vehicle returned fire. A bullet hit the Israeli's vehicle, whose windshield was damaged. Soldiers are pursuing the terrorists responsible. 

Six Israeli hostages released by Hamas tonight have returned to Israeli soil. They join two others who were released earlier on Thursday. 

Israel has confirmed the identities of the eight hostages who were released on Thursday evening, after 54 days of being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Belal and AIsha Zaidna

Belal Zaidna (credit: Hostage and Missing Families Forum)

AIsha Zaidna (credit: Hostage and Missing Families Forum)

Belal and AIsha Zaidna are two of four members of the Zaidna family, including father Yosef Hamis and their sibling Hamza, who went missing on October 7 when Hamas terrorists invaded Kibbutz Holit. They were working in the kibbutz's cow shed at the time. Despite government involvement Hamis and Hamza's whereabouts remain unknown, and they have not been officially classified as Hamas captives.

Shani Goren, 29

Shani Goren released from Hamas captivity November 30, 2023 (credit: BRINGTHEMHOMENOW)

Shani Goren, 29, was taken hostage from her home in Nir Oz by Hamas terrorists on October 7. She was a counselor for many years in the kibbutz's youth organization. One of the children she worked with in that role was Eitan Yahalomi, a 12-year old boy who was also kidnapped on Oct. 7 and was released earlier this week. According to Shani's sister, Shira, Shani was with Eitan in captivity, and watched over him, sharing her food with him and looking after his wellbeing.

Amit Soussana, 40

Amit Soussana released from Hamas captivity November 30, 2023 (credit: BRINGTHEMHOMENOW)

Amit Soussana, 40, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists after they invaded her home in Kfar Azza, one of the hardest hit areas on October 7.

Amit is the youngest of three sisters, an attorney at one of Israel's most prominent Intellectual Property firms. A native of Sderot, she moved to Kfar Azza a year ago.

Mia Schem, 21

Mia Schem, 21, was at the Nova festival with her friend on October 7 when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from Gaza and massacred hundreds of people at the festival, and kidnapping others including Mia.

In the days following the massacre, Hamas released a video of Schem showing she had been treated for an injured arm, and of her telling viewers she was safe and asking them to help bring her home as soon as possible. A tattoo artist in Modiin, Schem had made a tattoo of an Israeli flag surrounded by hearts just a week before the massacre, due to her love for her country, according to the owner of the shop where she works. 

Sapir Cohen, 29

Sapir Cohen, 29, was kidnapped along with her boyfriend, Sasha Trufanov, from his family's home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. His mother, Yelena, and grandmother, Irena Tati, were also taken captive. His father was killed. Yelena and Irena, who hold Russian citizenship, were released by Hamas earlier this week after a request by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sasha remains in captivity. 

Ilana Gritzewsky, 30

Ilana Gritzewsky, 30, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with her partner, Matan Zanguaker. A dual Mexican national who made aliyah 14 years ago after attending high school in Israel through the Naale program, Gritzewsky had told friends and family she felt she had "made it" as an Israeli by living in Nir Oz and dating an Israeli. 

Nili Margalit, 41

Nili Margalit, 41, is a pediatric nurse who was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. It took several weeks for authorities to confirm that Margalit had been kidnapped, as her home had been completely burnt to the ground. After former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz's release, the elderly woman said that Margalit had been with her in captivity, and had tended to the other hostages' injuries, caring for others "as she always did."

On October 7, Hamas terrorists kidnapped children on motorcycles and were trained to create a specific sign on their bodies: they put one of the children’s legs in the motorcycle exhaust. In addition, according to an uncle of two of these children hostages who were freed, they were drugged - according to a report on N12.

Yaniv, the uncle of Yagil, 12, and Or Yaakov, 16 from Kibbutz Nir Oz, who were released by Hamas, told foreign ministers in Europe.

Hamas uses burns as identification method

According to the plan, published on N12, the kidnappers would recognize that the children 'belonged' to them by a specific sign. Beyond just marking a part of the body, a practice that revives traumatic memories from grim periods in history, the children were repeatedly drugged and shuffled from one location to another.

The 10 Israeli hostages released from Hamas captivity on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 (credit: The Jerusalem Post)

“The children have been returned to us and shared harrowing tales of their experiences in Gaza,” the uncle recounted. “'One particularly disturbing detail that shook me was how each child seized by Hamas was placed on a motorcycle. They positioned the child's leg against the bike's exhaust pipe, causing burns. This was done to mark the children, ensuring their identification should they try to escape or be rescued. They're now safely with us, although they were drugged and treated horrifically, but at least they're here with us now.'"