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.

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy said Israel should plan a surprise attack at the Four Seasons in Doha, Qatar against Hamas leaders, mirroring the "red wedding" depicted in Game of Thrones, according to US media and a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the candidate.

Ramaswamy called for a "bloodbath" to mimic the fictional television show. 

Though he has previously criticized the US-Israel relationship, the right-wing politician appeared at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership conference in Las Vegas, adding that Israel has an "absolute and unequivocal" right to self defense. This also includes the calls to kill Hamas leaders following the October 7th massacre.

“If Israel and Mossad want to… take out every last leader of Hamas wherever they may be hiding, from Doha to Dresden — host a ‘Red Wedding’ at the Four Seasons in Qatar the next time [Hamas leaders Khaled] Haniyeh and [Ismail] Mashal show up — they should go ahead and do it,” he said, referring the scene in HBO’s “Games of Thrones,” portraying the murder of several people at a wedding feast in the television show.

Two-state solution?

Ramaswamy also recommended that a two-state solution be ditched, US media reported.

“If Israel wants to at long last abandon the myth of a two-state solution, Israel should go ahead and abandon a two state solution,” he said. 

The politician also acknowledged the disappearance of the Jewish population from the Arab world since the mid-20th century.

The IDF entered the Gaza Strip and is operating on the ground with support from troops in the air and at sea, Israel's political and military leadership said Saturday night.

"Last night, additional ground forces entered Gaza, marking the beginning of the second stage of the war, whose goal is to destroy the military and political capabilities of Hamas and to bring our kidnapped citizens back," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an evening briefing. 

"We are only at the beginning of the road. The war will be tough and long," the prime minister said. But he stressed, "We are prepared for it. This is our second War of Independence. This is our mission, our purpose in life, and together we will prevail."

Netanyahu said that not only do "the people and the leadership stand behind our soldiers," but also the international community is rooting for Israel. 

"Our partners understand that if Israel doesn't win, they will be next," he said. "Many around the world understand well that Israel is not only fighting its war but a war for all of humanity, a war of humanity against barbarism."

Smoke rises during Israeli airstrikes, in the Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, on October 28, 2023 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi had said earlier in the evening that the army's "best soldiers, well-trained and prepared, are operating in Gaza."

The ground operation began Friday evening and progressed throughout Shabbat, with plans for further escalation in the coming days as the number of known hostages rose to 229. 

"Achievements demand risks, and, as we know, victory comes at a price," Halevi said. "To expose and destroy the enemy, there is no other way than to enter its territory with force… We will remember to fight with determination, and we will win."

National Unity Party Chairman Benny Gantz said that he believed the ground operation, alongside other efforts, could also advance the return of the captives.

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari announced the ground invasion in two briefings over the weekend. 

The IDF had been threatening a full ground invasion for more than two weeks, but due to a combination of reasons - some known and some unknown - a full incursion had yet to occur. On Thursday, the IDF sent troops inside Gaza to strike Hamas targets - both on the ground and via the sea. However, those troops entered and exited the strip on the same evening. 

Senior Hamas terrorists eliminated

Overnight Friday, Israel also took out several senior Hamas terrorists who played strategic roles in the planning of the October 7 Hamas massacre that killed more than 1,400 Israelis.

Specifically, the IDF and Shin Bet have eliminated the head of the Hamas aerial array, Atsam Abu Raffa, they said Saturday morning. He was responsible for managing Hamas's anti-tank missile systems, drones, aerial surveillance, paragliders, and the organization's air defense, the army said. As part of his role, he was involved in planning and executing the October 7 massacre, during which Hamas paragliders entered Israeli communities and launched drone attacks.

In addition, they assassinated Ratib Abu Tzahiba, commander of Hamas' naval forces of the Gaza City Brigade. He was responsible for the recent attempt to infiltrate the maritime space near Zikim, the IDF said in a statement Saturday morning. 

Furthermore, Shayetet 13 commandos overnight Friday carried out a targeted raid from the sea in the southern Gaza Strip, destroying Hamas terrorist infrastructure used by the organization's naval commando force, the IDF said Friday afternoon.

Overnight Thursday, the IDF assassinated the commander of Hamas's West Khan Yunis battalion, Madhat Mubasher, the army said.

In addition, just this last week, the IDF said it killed the deputy head of Hamas's Intelligence Directorate, who was responsible for planning the October 7 massacre together with Yahya Sinwar; the commander of Hamas's Northern Khan Yunis rockets array, Hassan Al-Abdullah; the commander of the North Khan Yunis Battalion of the Hamas terrorist organization, Taysir Mubasher; the deputy commander of the Nuseirat Battalion, who took part in the Kibbutz Be'eri massacre; the deputy commanders of the Shati and Sheikh Radwan battalions; and the head of the anti-tank missiles array of Hamas's Northern Brigade, Ibrahim Alkhaser - as well as the commander of the Hamas aerial array in Gaza City, the head of Hamas training portfolio in Gaza City, the aerial defense officer of Hamas' Zabra Tel Elhua Battalion, a Hamas weapons supply manager in Gaza City, the head of training for the Hamas aerial defense array in northern Gaza, and the deputy head of Hamas's artillery array in the Gaza Strip. 

Hagari said that their assassinations represented significant progress toward Israel achieving its goal of dismantling Hamas and would make it easier for the ground troops to do their job.

"Eliminating them facilitates the war's progress and enables the forces on the ground to fight against a weaker enemy," he said.

"Last night, the ground shook," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Saturday night. "We struck above ground and underground. The instructions to the forces are clear: The action will continue until a new order is given."

He added that this is a war that will determine the next 75 years for Israel. 

"All of us – the prime minister, the defense minister, the Security Cabinet, the extended cabinet, and the entire command chain – understand the enormity of the hour and the immense responsibility placed upon our shoulders," Gantz concluded. "We also feel the pain and expectations of Israeli citizens."

Over the weekend, IDF warplanes attacked about 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip. 

Hagari said 311 soldiers have been identified as dead since the Hamas massacre on October 7. In addition, 58 Israeli police were killed in the October 7 attack and the operation since.

Seth Frantzman contributed to this report.

Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová expressed outrage at a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for Israel to cease its operations in the Gaza Strip and called for the Czech republic to withdraw from the UN on Saturday.

Vím, že je dnes významný den pro 🇨🇿 a chceme slavit naše 105 výročí republiky. Ale tímto se prostě nedá promlčet, promiňte mi to. Přesně před 3 týdny Hamas vyvraždil více než 1400 Izraelců, což je na jejich počet obyvatel více obětí, než zavraždila militantní islamistické… pic.twitter.com/gd1hk8vdZU

— Jana Černochová (@jana_cernochova) October 28, 2023

“I know that today is an important day for [the Czech Republic] and we want to celebrate our 105th anniversary. But this simply cannot be time-barred, forgive me. Exactly three weeks ago, Hamas murdered more than 1,400 Israelis, which is more victims per their population than the militant Islamist organization al-Qaeda murdered on 9/11/2001 in the USA. And only 14 countries, including ours, stood up against the unprecedented terrorist attack committed by Hamas terrorists, clearly and comprehensibly! I am ashamed of the UN. In my opinion - the Czech Republic has nothing to expect in an organization that supports terrorists and does not respect the basic right to self-defense. Let's get out.”

The UNGA resolution approved on Saturday called for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.” The resolution did not include a condemnation of Hamas’s attack on Israel nor a mention of Hamas in a line calling for the release of the hostages. The resolution was approved by 121 countries in favor and only 14 against.

The Czech Foreign Ministry stated that the Czech Republic voted against the resolution because “several key elements were missing from the text” including a condemnation of Hamas’s attack and a recognition of Israel’s right to defend itself.

“The resolution doesn’t provide assurances that the delivery of the urgent humanitarian assistance is not abused by Hamas and other terrorists. If we are not clear about the need to stop terrorism, we are not making progress towards the desired peace in the Middle East,” said the Foreign Ministry.

“Czechia is firmly committed to the two-state solution, which remains the only vital perspective to ensure Israel’s security and to fulfill the Palestinian desire for their own statehood. Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace, security and dignity.”

A Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in Bayt Rima in the northern West Bank, according to Palestinian reports.

Clashes were also reported in Jenin, Tamun, Silat al-Harithiya, and Nablus.

IDF soldiers who entered the Gaza Strip on Saturday raised the Israeli flag on one of the homes in the area, according to video shared online.

A man could be heard in the video saying “three weeks after the horrible crime, soldiers of the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Brigade lift the flag of Israel in the heart of Gaza, along the beach. We will not forget...we will not stop until victory.”

מרגש: דגל ישראל מונף בלב עזה🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/5ii0xXEs74

— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) October 28, 2023

This was reportedly the first time the Israeli flag has been raised in Gaza since the Disengagement in 2005.

IDF tanks operate in the Gaza Strip. October 28, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

IDF expands ground operations in Gaza Strip

Starting on Friday night, IDF soldiers began an expanded ground entry into the Gaza Strip, reaching a number of kilometers into the coastal enclave.

The IDF said that the entry into Gaza was an “expansion” of the ground raids conducted earlier in week, although IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari would not say if the entry was the beginning of the ground offensive spoken about in recent weeks.

Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian terrorists in northern Gaza have continued since, with airstrikes targeting a number of locations as well.

IDF artillery fire targeted positions used by the Syrian Army and Iran-backed militias in the Quneitra region near the Syrian-Israeli border on Saturday night, according to Lebanese and Syrian sources.

The Syrian Capital Voice news outlet reported that the artillery fire was conducted in response to a rocket fired from Syria toward Israel on Saturday. No rocket fire from Syria was reported by the IDF or Israeli sources on Saturday, although on Friday night a rocket fired toward Israel from Lebanon landed in Syrian territory.

The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV also reported that IDF artillery fire targeted sites in Quneitra on Saturday night.

Hundreds of Jewish protesters demonstrated against Arab Israeli students near dorms in Netanya on Saturday, with both sides accusing the other of starting the unrest, according to Israeli media.

The Jewish students claimed that Arab students had thrown eggs at children near a synagogue in the area.

הנתייתים מתעוררים.
ומה משטרת ישראל עושה?
חוסמת את הכניסה ומגינה על האויבים. pic.twitter.com/57YjOPzcC5

— רועי אמגר (@roi_amgar) October 28, 2023

Shortly after the incident was reported, hundreds of people gathered outside the dorms demanding that Arabs be removed from the premises and chanted “death to Arabs” and “all the Arabs out.”

Roi Amgar, the head of the local garin torani (Torah nucleus), posted on X (formerly Twitter), “In Netanya we are not going to give up until they kick out the Arabs who are at Netanya College! The police will not stop us, nor the municipality, nor the state! We demand security for ourselves immediately!”

Amgar wrote that a number of Arab students played Arabic music loudly near the synagogue and threw eggs at a number of Jewish girls who were playing nearby. The head of the garin additionally posted a video of Netanya residents chanting “Death to Arabs” while police blocked the door to the dorm where the Arab students were staying writing “The people of Netanya are waking up, and what are the Israeli police doing? Blocking the entrance and protecting the enemies.”

Mayor of Netanya Miriam Feirberg at the Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. (credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)

Dorms cleared amid unrest

Israel Police stated that police forces had dispersed the protest and that all the students had been taken out of the dorms and no one was harmed. “Israel Police will act with zero tolerance towards any manifestation of violence.”

Netanya Mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar announced that she had spoken with the president of the college in Netanya and that the dorms would be emptied on Sunday morning. She also stated that Israelis evacuated from southern Israel would be housed in the dorms instead.

Likud MK Eli Dallal expressed support for the decision to clear the dorms, posting on X "We are in tense days with a lot of anger and stress and at the same time we must all show restraint and not heat up the field. I trust the police to bring the rioters to justice."

Alon Lee-Green, co-director of the Standing Together movement, posted on X during the incident “horrible. As dozens of Arab students are hiding inside, hundreds of Jewish far-right activists try to break into the dormitories of Netanya College, shouting ‘death to the Arabs,’ and are guarded by the police who do nothing to evacuate them. They heard that there were Arabs there and simply came to storm the place. It's happening right now and getting worse every minute.”

"Qatar knows the status of the abductees. We [Israel] know, and so does the US," Yossi Cohen, the former head of the Mossad, disclosed in an interview with Channel 11 on Saturday night. Cohen explicitly acknowledged Qatar's knowledge of abductions of Israelis by Hamas, and hinted that he and other Israeli figures were in dialogue with them.

Expanding on Qatar's role in the reaction towards the October 7th massacre by Hamas against close to 2,000 Israelis, Cohen emphasized the importance of effective intermediation.

"We are in a situation where, to release or receive all abductees, effective intermediaries are crucial," he stated, adding that Israel needs them during these times. He mentioned Qatar and Egypt as primary entities in these matters.

"Currently, I'm in favor of refraining from criticizing Qatar [as a country and its relationship with Hamas]."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a meeting in Lusail, Qatar, Friday Oct. 13, 2023 (credit: JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/REUTERS)

Former Mossad chief warns Iran actively involved in war

"Iran is actively involved in this war," Cohen warned. He outlined the substantial support Iran has given to this conflict, cautioning, "the Western world is in danger if they possess nuclear weapons."

Highlighting Israel's sources of strength, Cohen remarked, "We have our civilians to rely on, a very strong power that ensures everything that needs to work, does work." He also recognized the pivotal role of the Israeli military in ensuring the nation's security. He didn't mention the government, but also wouldn't criticize it.

Alluding to ongoing behind-the-scenes negotiations, Cohen hinted, "As far as I'm aware, there are contacts regarding a potential prisoner exchange deal."

The Agudah - The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel - an umbrella organization for LGBTQ organizations in Israel, called on LGBTQ communities around the world to condemn Hamas’s assault on Israel in a letter on Thursday.

“Among the deceased and injured victims are many individuals who identify themselves as part of the global and local LGBTQI+ community, making the local community itself a casualty of this devastating attack,” stressed the Agudah.

LGBTQ Israelis murdered by Hamas

Among the LGBTQ Israelis killed by Hamas in the October 7 massacre who have been identified so far were Adiel Twito, who was murdered at the peace music festival near Reim; IDF Cpt. Sagi Golan, who was murdered while fighting to protect Kibbutz Be’eri; Alon Toledano, a resident of Sderot who was on his way to a synagogue for holiday prayers; and Daniel Cohen, who was murdered at the music festival near Reim.

“Hamas kidnapped over 220 people - babies and children, young women and men, people with disabilities, and senior citizens. It is confirmed that women and girls were raped, and hostages were tortured and humiliated. This is an unbelievable, unbearable reality, a clearcut case of crimes against humanity by any legal and moral standard.”

Kenyans attend a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Nairobi, Kenya October 22, 2023. (credit: MONICAH MWANGI/REUTERS)

The Agudah stressed that “legitimizing or ‘understanding’ these acts taken by Hamas undermines and violates any sense of human dignity, and the core values which stand at the heart of the LGBTQI+ liberation movement anywhere in the world. Regardless of political views and possible criticism, any person with clear conscience must realize that Hamas’ inhuman and brutal attack is not a ‘legitimate’ response under any moral queer thinking.”

“The reactions of some of the LGTBQI+ activists and collectives worldwide are alarming and stand in clear opposition to queer activism and theory alike. As Israeli LGBTQI+ people who are members of the global LGBTQI+ community, we call on you to condemn Hamas's crimes against humanity and take a clear stand against these atrocities targeted at innocent civilians, just as you condemn any other act of violence taken by terror organizations, countries, individuals, and so on.”

The Agudah added that LGBTQ people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are constantly at mortal risk, noting that Hamas killed one of its own commanders after he was accused of having relations with another man.

“Hamas’ intolerance of LGBTQI+ autonomy of choice and lifestyle - regardless of Israel – has put both Palestinian and Israeli LGBTQI+ individuals at immediate life risk. We urge you to approach this matter and recognize the incoherent aspect of such a stand during these horrific days when Israelis, as well as Palestinians, suffer,” said the Agudah.

“We see and recognize the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip. We must all promote tolerance, inclusion, justice, and dignity and take all necessary steps to reduce violence. Nevertheless, under the Hamas regime, neither Palestinians nor Israelis are safe, especially LGBTQI+ people from both groups.”

The Agudah expressed its protest at “the alarming sights of activists who claim to advance human rights while justifying or even expressing their support for the hideous acts of a brutal, antisemitic, and homophobic terror of an organization whose primary goal is to hurt innocent individuals.”

“We expect anyone who purports to promote human rights to condemn these acts and distance themselves from Hamas terrorism unequivocally. Supporting Hamas terrorism is entirely contrary to the LGBTQI+ community's core values.”