Israel at war - What happened on day 30?

I have taken part in a few incursions into the Gaza Strip, but I have to admit that I have never been this scared. The intensity of the war, my family situation, including a son who’d been injured and undergone a long recovery, stirred up many conflicting thoughts. Yet when we received final approval from the IDF last Thursday to join the troops for a day, all my doubts dissipated.

By Friday, we were on our way down South to join up with the Negev Brigade, a reserve infantry brigade, as it traversed to Beit Hanun in the Gaza Strip.

Civilian communities on Gaza border turned into makeshift military bases

Immediately after the war broke out, many of the kibbutzim that border Gaza were turned into makeshift military bases, a different pace from previous military operations, where civilian activity mostly continued as usual. Today, barely any civilians remain in any of the communities.

“Up until October 7, we were reservists,” one soldier stationed in the area said. “Now, we are all soldiers. Some of the reserve units’ equipment was antiquated, but now we have everything we need.”

At a press conference Sunday night, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari updated the number of kidnapped Israelis to 240 and the number of dead IDF soldiers to 347.

Hamas's political head Ismail Haniyeh, who met with Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Sunday, is set to visit Lebanon in the coming days for talks on a potential swap of hostages and prisoners, Hezbollah-affiliated media al-Jadeed reported.

An Israeli academic institution may be losing some of its donors, as a result of it not taking extreme measures against students who supported the Hamas massacre on October 7, resulting in the killing of more than 1400 Israelis, and the kidnapping of more than 240.

The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, an emblem of academic excellence in Israel, is currently navigating a tumultuous situation that encapsulates the intersection of social media conduct, donor influence, and the challenge of maintaining an environment conducive to diverse viewpoints while condemning hate and extremism.

Hamas's mass infiltration and massacre of Israelis on October 7 was originally intended to take place during last Passover's Seder meal, Israeli journalist Ben Caspit reported on Sunday evening.

As per the report, Iran decided to delay the organized assault on civilians to Simchat Torah due to reasons that are unclear. However, Caspit speculated, it could have been delayed due to informal negotiations with the United States which led to $6 billion being freed up for Iran in September.

The report noted that the information was uncovered during the interrogation of Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre.

Thirty days after the Hamas infiltration, Israel finds itself entrenched in an ongoing Gaza conflict with no clear end in sight, all while the IDF casualties continue to rise. The country remains under constant rocket fire, still reeling from the trauma of October 7. 

Here are the five primary challenges it currently confronts:

No. 1: Diplomatic support is weakening

The day following Hamas's infiltration into Israel and the tragic loss of 1,400 civilian lives, politicians from across the Western world expressed their condemnation. They vowed unwavering support for the State of Israel. But 30 days later, as Israel continues to strike Hamas, killing thousands of civilians, the field has grown quieter. 

Most leaders who visited Israel during this period have returned to their respective countries and have yet to revisit. US President Joe Biden, the first to condemn the tragedy, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have initiated discussions on "humanitarian pauses," a stance that runs counter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position. 

The IDF is prepared to attack from the North at any moment, Chief-of-Staff Brig.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a visit to the IDF's 210th Division in the North on Sunday.

"We are prepared to be on the offensive in the North, we understand it could happen," Halevi told the Israeli forces. "We trust you that the defense here is strong.

"We understand and hear the sentiment among northern residents...we aim to restore security on all fronts, not just along the Gaza border," Halevi added.

Former Mossad head Yossi Cohen met with a leader in the Arab world on the subject of the Gaza hostages with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latter's office confirmed Sunday evening.

Cohen also held several diplomatic meetings and is in direct contact with National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, the Prime Minister's Office said.

This is the first confirmation from Netanyahu of Cohen's active involvement in hostage release negotiations, having previously released a statement saying the only avenue for hostage negotiations is coordinator Gal Hirsch.

Israel has estimated that many of the over 240 Hamas held captives in Gaza are still alive, as it opposed any ceasefire understanding without the release of all the hostages.

An Israeli diplomatic source said that the pressure of a ground campaign may press Hamas to make a deal.

“Initially nothing was seen in that direction,” the source said. Now, “we see something, it hasn't matured yet.”

The source spoke as Israel is under international pressure for a ceasefire with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushing it to accept at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting.

The source said that any ceasefire understanding would in fact be temporary, more akin to a pause. This could only happen, the source said, in exchange for the release of the hostages and amid a clear understanding that Israel would continue to “work to defeat Hamas.”

Qatar's foreign ministry said on Sunday that without a "period of calm" in Gaza its mediators would not be able to secure the release of Israeli hostages held there.

The source clarified that all Israeli contacts with Qatar are managed by Mossad Chief David Barnea, together with the intelligence team of IDF Maj. Gen. (Res) Nitzan Alon and Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar.

Israeli security forces located on Sunday the remains of Ruth Peretz, a 17-year-old who went missing along with her father during the Re'im music festival massacre on October 7.

Ruth suffered from muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. The wheelchair she used for mobility was found near the Gaza border a few days after the massacre, leading to fears she had been kidnapped into Gaza by the Hamas terrorist group.

Her father Eric, who was also declared missing since the mass infiltration, was found lifeless by police and medical personnel on October 16.

'Ruth went to party because it brought her immeasurable happiness'

In a tribute article written to Walla!, Dr. Ilan Rabinovich spoke of Ruth's condition at length.

"Ruth had difficulty eating normally and relied on stomach feeding. She is disabled and paralyzed. She communicates using only basic words understood by her family," Rabinovich wrote. "They went to that tragic party together because it brought Ruth immeasurable happiness. Eric had been taking Ruth to these parties for years because they made her feel good."