Israel at War: What happened on day 18?

Israeli artillery forces struck the source of rocket fire from Syria on the Golan Heights on Tuesday evening, the IDF confirmed.

Sirens sounded in the towns of Neot Golan, Bnei Yehuda, and Givat Yoav, to the East of Lake Kinneret.

The IDF said two rockets were launched at Israel from Syria and fell in open fields.

IDF strikes terror cells in Lebanon

The IDF targeted a terrorist cell that fired anti-tank missiles at Israel from within Lebanese territory, it said on Tuesday.

The Israeli military responded with artillery forces to anti-tank fire directed at the northern border towns of Shutla and Menara. The IDF destroyed the weaponry used to launch the missiles, it added. 

Five-year-old Arab-Israeli Atallah awoke early on the morning of October 7, to go with his father and work on the fields of moshav Mivtahim in southern Israel. His routine was shattered when over 1000 Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, killing over 1,400, wounding over 5,000, and kidnapping some 220 people, and taking them hostage back to Gaza.

Mivtahim was one of the communities targeted by the Hamas terrorists, and as officers of the Magen unit of Israel Police arrived on the scene, they found a wounded Atallah in the arms of his uncle and provided him with life-saving first aid.

Police officers meet with Atallah, whose life was saved on moshav Mivtahim from Hamas terrorists, October 22, 2023 (Israel Police Spokesperson's Unit)

The future police officer

Atallah's father had already been murdered by the terrorists in front of his son, and Atallah was fortunate to receive the first aid that would save his life. While recovering in the hospital, Atallah was visited by Negev Region Assistant Commissioner Effi Shiman, Magen Unit Chief Superintendent Ronen Kalafon, and the two officers who saved his life.

Atallah's family, who come from the Arab city of Rahat, expressed their gratitude to the police officers and Atallah told them that when he grows up he now wants to become a police officer.

At the end of the meeting, the commanders wished Atallah a speedy recovery and expressed their condolences for the family's loss.

The IDF attacked over 400 military targets in the Gaza Strip and killed a number of Hamas commanders in the 24 hours, the IDF announced in a statement on Tuesday morning. 

Israeli Air Force jets attacked dozens of infrastructures and various Hamas assembly points in the neighborhoods of Sajaiya, Shati, Jabaliya, Darj Tafah and Zeitoun.

Dozens of armed Hamas terrorists who were preparing to launch rockets were also targeted. 

A reservist IDF soldier was moderately wounded after Palestinian terrorists threw an explosive device toward Israeli forces during a raid in Burka in the northern West Bank on Monday night, according to Israeli media.

The US sent a three-star Marine and other officers to Israel to help build the battle plans for Israel’s expected ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, The New York Times and Walla reported on Monday.

The three-star Marine officer was identified in both reports as Lt. Gen. James Glynn, who has helped lead special operations forces against ISIS and served in Fallujah, Iraq. Glynn currently serves as the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs of the Marine Corps.

US officials cited in the reports stressed that the officers are not intended to dictate to Israel how to conduct the ground offensive, but instead to provide “military advice,” such as lessons learned in urban warfare in Mosul. The New York Times reported that Glynn would not be on the ground in Israel if a ground incursion into Gaza begins.

Senior officials in the Biden administration told the New York Times that the IDF is not ready yet to launch a ground invasion, that the US is concerned that Israel lacks a clear military plan to eradicate Hamas in Gaza, and does not have an achievable plan of action.

According to the Associated Press, Glynn will also be advising Israel on how to mitigate civilian casualties in urban warfare.

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)

US stresses IDF will need to decide for themselves how to conduct invasion

During a press briefing on Monday, John Kirby stressed that “the IDF need to decide for themselves how they’re going to conduct operations.  We’re not in the business of dictating terms to them, and we’re certainly not going to be in the business here from the White House of previewing any future operations one way or the other. That would be inappropriate.”

Kirby added during the briefing that the US has “maintained a level of communication with our Israeli counterparts to ascertain their intentions, their strategy, their aims to see what their answers are to the kinds of tough questions that any military ought to be asking before you launch any kind of a major operation.  Have you thought through the branches?  Have you thought through the sequels?  Have you thought through the unintended consequences?”

When asked about the reports that Glynn had been sent to Israel, Kirby did not confirm that Glynn was sent to Israel. Instead he stated that “there are a few relevant military officers with experience — the kinds of experience that we believe is appropriate to the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting and may conduct in the future to go over there to share some perspectives from their own experience and to ask the same hard questions that we’ve been asking of our Israeli counterparts since the beginning.”

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday night after two hostages were released by Hamas, the White House said early Tuesday morning.

Biden welcomed the release of the hostages and reaffirmed his commitment to secure the release of the rest of the hostages being held by Hamas. The president additionally stressed the need for continuous humanitarian aid to Gaza and updated Netanyahu concerning US support for Israel and new US military deployments.

The two agreed to speak again in the coming days.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sparked controversy on social media after responding to a question about concerns of rising antisemitism amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas by talking about Islamophobia instead.

A reporter asked Jean-Pierre during a press briefing on Monday, “What is [US President Joe Biden's] level of concern right now about the potential rise of antisemitism in light of everything that’s going on in Israel?”

To be clear: the President and our team are very concerned about a rise in antisemitism, especially after the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. https://t.co/oMeFDmZK66

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) October 23, 2023

The press secretary responded by stating, “Look, we have not seen any credible threats. I know there’s been always questions about credible threats. And so, just want to make sure that that’s out there. But, look, Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks.”

Jean-Pierre stressed that Biden “understands that many of our Muslim, Arab Americans and Palestinian American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities.”

People march after attending a demonstration to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, in New York City, US, October 13, 2023. (credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

The press secretary added that Biden has directed the Homeland Security team to “prioritize prevention and disruption of any emerging threats that could harm the Jewish, the Muslim, Arab Americans or any other communities.”

Jean-Pierre was also asked about anti-Israel protests taking place on college campuses across the US, with a reporter asking “does the president view anti-Israel protests and sentiment on college campuses as antisemitism?”

The press secretary responded “I’m not going to get into what’s happening across the country at different universities. I’m not going to get into the specifics.”

“A peaceful protest is really part of our democracy, for folks to be able to express their feelings. The president has been very clear in wanting to make sure that Jewish Americans, wanting to make sure that Arab Americans, Muslims are protected here. The President has been very, very clear on denouncing any type of violence. And so, as it relates to peaceful protesting, people have the right to do that. But we’re just not going to get into blow by blows of what’s going on across the country.”

When the reporter quoted Biden’s comments that “silence is complicity” and noted that antisemitic letters were being published as part of some of these protests, Jean-Pierre stressed that “the president is against antisemitism. Of course. This is a president that you have heard me say wants to protect communities, whether it’s the Jewish community, the Arab American community, the Palestinian community. This is someone who is going to speak out against antisemitism.”

Social media erupts over press secretary's handling of antisemitism questions

The White House press secretary’s handling of questions concerning antisemitism sparked outrage, with some social media users expressing concern that she had “pivoted” from the question to other issues.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the director of Global Social Action at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, called on Jean-Pierre to address rising antisemitism in the US, saying “At a time of soaring antisemitism and hate taking place on both sides of the Atlantic; and as Jews around the world are in deep mourning over the mass murder of innocent Jews by Hamas terrorists, we urge Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to address the question she was asked regarding the rise of antisemitism.”

Cooper offered to send the press secretary statistics concerning the rise in antisemitic incidents over the past 10 days.

“Of course all decent Americans oppose all bigotry including Islamophobia — but as spokeswoman for the president of the United States she must fully and accurately address antisemitism as well," he said.

What a weak answer. And why are you looking in the book? What’s the approved answer? The simple answer is yes, you are concerned about the rise of antisemitism. Of course we are also worried about hatred against Muslim Americans. Must do better. https://t.co/RdYhPTFpHa

— Jared Moskowitz 🟧 (@JaredEMoskowitz) October 23, 2023

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) expressed outrage at the press secretary’s response in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “What a weak answer. And why are you looking in the book? What’s the approved answer? The simple answer is yes, you are concerned about the rise of antisemitism. Of course we are also worried about hatred against Muslim Americans. Must do better.”

The Republican National Committee also responded on X, writing that "this weekend, we saw antisemitic protestors literally waving the flag of Hamas in Minnesota. But when Karine Jean-Pierre is asked a direct question about the rise of antisemitism, she dodges.”

Jean-Pierre responded to the controversy in a post on X writing “To be clear: the president and our team are very concerned about a rise in antisemitism, especially after the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas early Tuesday morning, according to a readout by the US Department of Defense.

Austin emphasized the importance of Israel’s role in facilitating the humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, as well as the importance of protecting civilians. The two also discussed the security assistance provided by the US and actions taken by the Department of Defense to deter state and non-state actors from escalating the war.

China will do its utmost when it comes to contributing to Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation, its foreign minister told his Israel counterpart in a phone call on Monday, according to Chinese state media.

China will also firmly support any resolution as long as it is conducive to peace, minister Wang Yi said, calling the conflict a "major choice between war and peace," state media said on Tuesday.

Wang also called for Israel to take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions there, adding that "all countries have the right to self-defense, but they should abide by international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians."

US President Joe Biden hinted that he could support a Gaza ceasefire if Hamas released all the 222 hostages it seized from southern Israel on October 7.

During a White House event, a reporter asked him, “Is the United States supporting a hostage for a ceasefire deal.”

Biden responded, “We should have a ceasefire,” he said and then corrected himself. 

“We should have the hostages released and then we should talk,” Biden said.

He spoke as the Israeli army has amassed at the Gaza border and is prepared for a ground campaign to oust Hamas from the Strip.

Smoke rises following a blast amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, October 18, 2023, as seen in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (credit: Palestinian Media Group/Handout via REUTERS )

The US has advised Israel to hold off on a ground assault in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and is keeping Qatar - a broker with Hamas - apprised of those talks, sources said.

The White House, Pentagon and State Department have stepped up private appeals for caution in conversations with the Israelis.

Attempts to release hostages meet limited success

The US concern comes amid limited success by third-party brokers such as Egypt and Qatar to free hostages.

Hamas late Monday night freed two Israeli captives Nurit Cooper (79) and Yochaved Lifshitz (85) who had been taken from the Nahal Oz Kibbutz. 

Their husbands Amiram Cooper, (85)  and Oded Lifshitz (83) remain in captivity.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that the “IDF and the security forces have worked hard in the last few days in all avenues to bring about their release and to overcome the many obstacles Hamas place in front of them.”

The two women were returned to Israel via the Rafah crossing and turned over to the International Red Cross to the IDF. They then went to Ichilov Medical Center for treatment and to be reunited with their families, the PMO stated.

The PMO thanked both Egypt and the Red Cross. It pledged that Israel would continue to do everything in its power to free the hostages and locate those who have been missing since the October 7th attack.

Nahal Oz, which lost one-third of its members in the October 7 attack, called for the release of all the captives.

Cooper and Lifshitz were released 48 hours after two American women were freed. 

The hostage releases came as Israel allowed three convoys of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip for three days straight.

The shipments of food and medicine that were inspected by Israel were the first goods to enter the Strip since Hamas infiltrated Israel on October 7, killing over 1,400 civilians and soldiers. Close to 5,000 Palestinians have been killed since then due to IDF aerial strikes or failed Palestinian rocket launches.

Israel has closed its two crossings into Gaza and stopped all food, fuel and electricity provided through those passages from entering Gaza until such time as all the hostages have been released..

The shipments that have gone via Egypt, which have amounted to slightly less than 60 trucks over three days, are far less than the minimum of 100 trucks a day that are needed.

Israel’s aerial bombing of Gaza, the displacement of 1.4 million residents, more than half of the 2.3 million population and the blockade of the Strip, have strengthened calls for a ceasefire.

European Union foreign ministers met in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss the need for a humanitarian pause to the fighting.

In a briefing at the White House, UN National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby dismissed questions about the possibility of a ceasefire in exchange for the hostages. Hamas could at any moment simply release all of them, he said.

“Here’s an idea: They [Hamas] can release them all now,” Kirby said. “They can let them go now because they can release them all now. Just let them go now because these people did not do anything wrong. They are just innocent civilians caught up in this conflict. Let them go now.”

Reuters contributed to this report.