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.”

A plane that has been used in the past by senior Israeli officials returned to Israel on Saturday from Cairo, having spent several hours in Egypt, according to a report from Kan, Israel's public broadcasting company.

The flight is suspected to have been part of ongoing efforts outside the public view to negotiate for the release of Israeli hostages currently held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A similar flight, on another plane known to be used by Israeli officials, traveled between Israel and Qatar last week, and was later reported to have carried David Barnea, head of the Mossad. 

Hostage negotiations have been ongoing since Hamas first abducted more than 240 men, women, and children from Israel on October 7. Prior to Israel's ground invasion of Gaza, there were reports of a major deal in the works to release captive Israelis in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, but these talks reportedly reached a dead-end prior to the start of major IDF ground operations. 

Mossad Director David Barnea speaks during a Conference of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), in Tel Aviv, on September 10, 2023. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

Talks still ongoing, but no reports of major progress

On October 28, it was reported that "talks have not broken down, but are taking place at a 'much slower pace' than before the escalation." 

Other countries that are not a direct party to the conflict, such as Thailand, which has nearly two dozen nationals captive in Gaza, have also been negotiating separately for the release of their own. 

The families of the kidnapped continue to put pressure on the Israeli government, including some calls for an 'all-for-all' prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas. Some families have set up camp opposite the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv and vowed not to return home until their loved ones are returned from Gaza. A rally was also held in Jerusalem Saturday night calling for action on behalf of the hostages.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev arrived at the gates of Kibbutz Be'eri on Thursday on a scheduled visit to the Be'eri Printing Press on the kibbutz. However, her visit took an unexpected turn when her entrance to the gated community was blocked by kibbutz members for over half an hour and she was asked by the manager of the printing press to leave.

"We blocked the entrance with our bodies," one kibbutz member told Walla. "Miri Regev is a criminal with blood on her hands. Likud ministers may not have murdered people personally, but in the last 14 years, they strengthened the rule of Hamas and weakened Israeli society. They have a huge part in this failure.

אין תחתית, אין בושה, ואין גבול לציניות של ממשלת הדמים. תשמעו את הסיפור הזה:

ביום חמישי האחרון שרת התחבורה מירי רגב @regev_miri הגיעה לקיבוץ בארי (שם הייתה אמורה לבקר בדפוס בארי, שמספק שירותים גם למשרד התחבורה).
רק שבצעד מתבקש, חברי הקיבוץ חסמו בגופם את כניסתה במשך חצי שעה, עד… pic.twitter.com/b49S8xLwFs

— Nava Rozolyo🤸🏻‍♀️🤭🥑🌎 (@rozolyo) November 4, 2023

"When we received the news that Regev was coming to visit, we decided that she would not enter Be'eri," the kibbutz member added. " Economy Minister Nir Barkat visited us because we need him, and we received him in a positive way. From our point of view, ministers and Knesset members who called us traitors and supporters of terrorism, cannot donate to us and only want to dance on our blood. We will not allow this, we will not allow Regec to carry out a PR campaign at our expense."

Gadi Yarkoni, head of the Eshkol Regional Council attends a Finance committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on October 23, 2023. Photo by Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90

Regev's communications team responded that, "On Thursday, Transportation Minister Miri Regev was on a professional tour in the south. At the end of a meeting with Eshkol Regional Council leader Gadi Yarkoni, [she] continued to Kibbutz Be'eri to show support for the rehabilitation of the kibbutz's infrastructure. Minister Regev made a decision that Transport Ministry will restore the infrastructures of the surrounding communities - not only between the settlements but also within the settlements, even though that is the responsibility of the settlements and the regional councils. When the minister arrived at the kibbutz, some residents chose to prevent her and her professional team from entering, and she respected their decision. Minister Regev will continue to work to restore the infrastructure in the Gaza border communities."

Gov't doesn't understand 'the magnitude of the hour'

Yarkoni himself harshly criticized the state's handling of the aid given to the residents of those living in the Gaza periphery. Speaking to Maariv, he said, "People here do not know how to make decisions at the pace the residents need. There is no leadership - I could solve these problems in a week. They do not understand what happened to us here. If it costs a billion shekels will the State of Israel fall apart? No. But if the residents do not get what they need for their livelihoods and their hope, it is worth many more billions [to the State."

"They are messing us around over small things. People's vehicles and houses have been burned, and they don't understand the magnitude of the hour. The people are helping us, but we need the government to also intervene and give us a helping hand."

Be'eri was among the hardest hit in Hamas's attack of October 7, with at least 120 kibbutz members killed and many more kidnapped.

The IDF has struck more than 2,500 targets in Gaza since the beginning of major ground operations in the ongoing war with Hamas, dubbed 'Operation Swords of Iron.'

"IDF troops are continuing to eliminate terrorists in close-quarter combat as well as airstrikes on infrastructure, weapons depots, observation posts, and command and control centers in the Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement reported that on Saturday night, IDF troops "directed aircraft to strike a Hamas military compound containing command and control centers, observation posts, and additional terrorist infrastructure." 

Boris Johnson, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, and Scott Morrison, the former prime minister of Australia, landed in Israel Sunday morning for a solidarity visit amidst the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.

The two former leaders will tour the southern communities that Hamas attacked on October 7. 

The tour was initiated by MK Danny Dannon, formerly Israel's ambassador to the United Nations.

Pro-Palestinian protesters vandalized the gates of the White House with red paint and attempted to scale the fence around the president's residence early Sunday morning, according to footage shared from the scene.

Protesters also placed Palestinian flags and signs on monuments around Washington DC.

BREAKING: Pro-Palestine protesters appear to be threatening to storm through the White House fences and are threatening Secret Service agents.

Multiple video angles show hundreds of angry protesters up against the White House fence.

They also threw red paint on the fence as… pic.twitter.com/zt3092X79x

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 5, 2023

One video from the gates of the White House showed a person with their face masked climbing on the fence while waving a Palestinian flag. Protesters were also filmed shouting "F&*k you" and "shame" at security officers on the other side of the fence.

A poster with a photo of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris with the word "Wanted" above their heads was placed on the fence as well.

Secret Service monitors the situation from inside the fence of the White House as demonstrators rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Washington, US, November 4, 2023. (credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

Riot organizer pushes 'from the river to the sea' chant

The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, one of the movements which organized the riot, wrote in a post on X that hundreds of thousands of people took part in the event and that they would "keep resisting until Palestine is free."

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! 🇵🇸

Stop the genocide in Gaza now. pic.twitter.com/bbMMXTUdGJ

— #DefendMasaferYatta USCPR (@USCPR_) November 4, 2023

The movement additionally wrote "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" in a post about the event, a slogan commonly used by Palestinian terrorist groups to refer to the absolute destruction of the State of Israel and the removal or murder of all Jews from the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

Additional protests were held in a number of other cities around the world on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Israeli forces and Palestinian terrorists clashed in Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarm, as well as other locations throughout the West Bank on Saturday night and Sunday morning, according to Palestinian reports.

In Nablus, three Palestinians were injured amid clashes during a raid by Israeli forces.

In Jenin, one Palestinian was injured, and at least one other was arrested during a raid in the city.

The film prepared by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, which documents in a graphic and hard-to-digest manner the atrocities inflicted by Hamas terrorists on the residents of the communities near the Gaza border, will be screened for several Hollywood executives on Wednesday at an event initiated by several Hollywood Jews, led by Israeli-American Oscar-winning director Guy Nattiv ("Golda"). The actress Gal Gadot and her husband Jaron Varsano are also assisting with the matter.

In the invitation sent to Hollywood executives, Nattiv wrote that the video, which is about 40 minutes long, includes violent and very difficult graphic images, including documentation of murders committed by Hamas terrorists and filmed by them.

The screening will take place in Los Angeles, although at the same time there will also be another screening in New York. Nattiv and the other initiators of the screening asked the guests not to bring cell phones into the screening.

Personal belongings including a child's pram are seen on the road next to a car days after a mass infiltration by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip, near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in southern Israel, October 10, 2023 (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)

Other recent screenings of the video of the atrocities

The video of the atrocities was shown a few days ago to MKs, and some of them were shocked and upset by it and even needed medical and psychological treatment to deal with the difficult images.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, in collaboration with the Israeli Consulate in New York, held a special screening for diplomats this week, as he did about a week and a half ago for dozens of senior officials from central international media outlets.

Palestinian terrorists targeted Israeli forces with anti-tank missile fire in the southern Gaza Strip near the border early Sunday morning.

The IDF fired back at the source of the attack.