Israel at war: What happened on days 42-43?

Rocket sirens sounded across northern Israeli border towns on Saturday morning after a barrage of at least 25 rockets was fired from Lebanon, the IDF confirmed.

The Israeli military said it was striking the source of the fire, as well as several Hezbollah terror positions across the border. 

Sirens also sounded in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona later on Saturday. The IDF said it responded to the rocket fire.

The IDF strikes Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon on November 18, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/ALAA AL-MARJANI)

Hezbollah says it shot down Israeli drone

The Iran-backed Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone near the border in the early hours of Saturday.

Lebanese officials said an Israeli airstrike hit a building in an industrial area near the town of Nabatieh, one of the deepest Israeli strikes inside Lebanese territory since fighting resumed last month. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.

The Biden administration seeks to prevent Jewish extremists who attack Palestinians from entering the United States in its harshest stance to date against such West Bank violence.

“I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable,” US President Joe Biden wrote in an opinion piece he published in the Washington Post on Saturday.

“The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank,” he stressed.

According to the United Nations, eight Palestinians, including one child, have been killed by settlers in the West Bank and another 74 were injured.

Some 33% of those injuries were caused by live ammunition, the UN stated.

IDF SOLDIERS prevent settlers from entering the village of Deir Sharaf, west of Nablus, in response to a shooting attack last Thursday. (credit: NASSER ISHTAYEH/FLASH90)

Biden administration increasingly concerned with extremist violence

The Biden administration is increasingly concerned by the growing number of Jewish extremist attacks that have occurred both before and after the start of the Gaza war.

Its officials have been careful to mention settler violence as it condemns Hamas’ killing of 1,200 people and its seizure of over 239 hostages when it infiltrated southern Israel on October 9.

It has supported Israel’s military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza in the aftermath of that attack and has spoken of the importance of a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Paelstinian conflict in the aftermath of that war.

“In the months ahead, the United States will redouble our efforts to establish a more peaceful, integrated, and prosperous Middle East — a region where a day like Oct. 7 is unthinkable, “ Biden wrote.

A humanitarian assessment team led by the World Health Organization visited Al Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza on Saturday to assess the situation, the WHO said in a statement.

The team included public health experts, logistics officers and security staff from various United Nations departments.

Due to security risks, the team was able to spend only an hour inside the hospital and described it as a "death zone," WHO said.

Signs of shelling and gunfire were evident. The team saw a mass grave at the entrance of the hospital and was told more than 80 people were buried there, the WHO statement said.

IDF lookouts who had warned that they were concerned about the situation along the Gaza border in the months before the October 7 attack were told to stop bothering their commanders and even threatened with a court-martial, N12 reported on Saturday.

According to the report, the lookouts warned that they had seen unusual training and other actions taking place next to the border, with more and more people suddenly getting near the fence in the months leading up to the attack.

The lookouts felt that they weren't being heard and one of them decided to go directly to a senior commander in the area and was told "I don't want to hear again about this nonsense. If you all bother us again with these things, you'll be court-martialed."

N12 additionally reported on Saturday that lookouts who served along the Gaza border are not receiving psychological help from the army and were recently told that they would need to return to service within two weeks or be transferred elsewhere.

"The IDF and its commanders accompany all the soldiers who were present at the events of October 7 closely and sensitively," said the IDF to N12 in response to the report. "The soldiers are accompanied by medical professionals from the mental health system, this is in addition to the continuous relationship with their commanders who are an envelope and an attentive ear. Their return to duty will be accompanied gradually, sensitively, and according to each's condition. There is no intention of taking disciplinary measures against them. If there were conversations that reflect otherwise, then they are against the guidelines and will be handled accordingly."

Palestinians break into the Israeli side of Israel-Gaza border fence after Hamas terrorists infiltrated areas of southern Israel, October 7, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa)

Lookouts warned about unusual actions along Gaza border for months

In the weeks since the attack, lookouts who served along the Gaza border have told Israeli media that they had warned their commanders for months about unusual actions along the border, but were ignored.

One lookout said in a past N12 report that her commanders "discounted" her concerns, telling her "Hamas is just a bunch of punks, they won't do anything."

"I wasn't seeing things, it wasn't something usual. We saw a ton of exercises. We would always look at them as if it was Channel 12. It was fun. It was interesting that they were doing exercises."

"We would look at this and we would say 'f&%*, come on, one day is this is going to be on us, this s&*%, that we're so indifferent about this?'"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time that Israel could lose International support for its war with Gaza as he argued Saturday night that it was essential to supply then enclave with humanitarian aid.

“The humanitarian aid is also essential for the continued guarantee of international support,” Netanyahu said.

“Without humanitarian aid, even our best friends will find it difficult to support us for a long time, and it will be very difficult for us to continue the war until the end," he added.

He defended the war cabinet’s decision to acquiesce to a US request that a limited amount of fuel enter Gaza through the Egyptian crossing at Rafah for United Nations use.

Misuse of resources

Israel has been concerned that Hamas would divert the fuel for its military use, including the launching of rockets against Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposed the move to send fuel into Gaza.

A boy walks among debris at the site of an Israeli strike on the apartment building, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 18, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

On Friday, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel would “provide two tankers a day for the sewage system in the Gaza Strip, which is on the verge of collapse without electricity and without the capability to run the sewage and water systems operated by United Nations Relief and Works Agency.”

He explained that there was a basic Israeli health interest in taking this step.

“The decision was that we want to prevent the spread of diseases. We don’t currently need epidemics that will harm civilians there or our soldiers. If there is an epidemic, the fighting will be stopped. If there is a humanitarian crisis and an international outcry, we will not be able to continue the fighting under those conditions,” Hanegbi stated.

On Saturday night, Netanyahu stated, “I want to emphasize: this is not a policy change, but a limited one-point response to prevent the spread of epidemics.

“These are some of the things that my colleagues and I in the cabinet are doing to ensure the continuation of Israel’s political maneuvering space, a space that we need to achieve the goals of the war,” he stated.

The international community has increased its pressure on Israel with regard to humanitarian aid and a ceasefire, particularly in light of the high casualty count. Hamas has asserted that over 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in war related violence in Gaza.

“You cannot establish a military victory without political backing, and you cannot establish political backing without appealing to both the leaders and public opinion in their countries.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu stated that Israel is under heavy international pressure on many fronts with respect to this war and that support from its allies was critical to its ability to continue the war.

“This is exactly the effort I have been leading with my friends since the outbreak of the war. We insist on our vital security and political interests, and I must tell you, in the face of stiff opposition.

“When our adversaries as well as our friends see this insistence, when they hear it in interviews in the international media and in conversations with leaders, we gain the necessary space to continue the action,” Netanyahu said.

“We resisted, and we continue to resist: many in the world demanded that we not enter the Gaza Strip – we did. They pressured us not to enter Gaza City – we entered.

“They warned us not to enter Shifa [Hospital], even though Shifa served as a major terror base for Hamas – we entered. They pressured us to agree to a full ceasefire – we refused,” Netanyahu said.

But it was important, he said, in some instances to make concessions.

 “You cannot establish a military victory without political backing, and you cannot establish political backing without appealing to both the leaders and public opinion in their countries,” Netanyahu stated.

“Everything we do is intended, above all, to bring the sons and daughters home,” Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz said, speaking from Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. “All of us, the entire war cabinet, the entire coalition, and the opposition, are committed to doing everything in our power and taking full responsibility for every step to bring them back.”

During his speech, Gantz also expressed his appreciation for personnel of the IDF from all backgrounds, both Jewish and Arab, religious and secular, and political Left and Right.

“In this war, we are right, and we also need to utilize our experience and responsibility and be considerate and wise,” he said. “My colleagues and I joined the government and the cabinet because in times like these, tough decisions are required, and they must be made with as much broad consent as possible.

The Minister-without-portfolio also noted that the fighting will continue, but that Israel is determined and that, after the war, it will have achieved calm and security.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi dismissed the possibility that troops from regional Arab countries could be used to police Gaza after the war to prevent the resurgence of Hamas and provide overall security for Palestinians.

“There will be no Arab troops going to Gaza, none,” Safadi said on Saturday as he addressed the British-based International Institute for Strategic Studies annual Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

He spoke as Israel’s allies, primarily the United States, have debated the question of how to organize a security architecture for Gaza once the Israel-Hamas war there ends.

Who controls Gaza?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel must indefinitely maintain security control of Gaza in the aftermath of the war to prevent any resurgence of Hamas in the coastal enclave.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi speaks during a news conference in Amman, Jordan March 21, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/JEHAD SHELBAK)

The Biden administration has insisted that the IDF can only temporarily retain control until such time as a security architecture will be established there.

Safadi clarified on Saturday that the Arab armies won’t participate in any plan to police Gaza.

“We are not going to be seen as the enemy” in Palestinian eyes, he stated.

A plan to station Arab troops in Gaza after the war sends Israel the message that it has free rein to destroy the enclave, Safadi said.

“By entertaining that, we are telling the Israeli government do whatever you want, go destroy Gaza, no one is stopping you and once you are done, we will go clean your mess,” Safadi said.

“There is a catastrophe happening” in Gaza that “has to stop for the sake of the Palestinians, for the safe of Israel, for the sake of the whole region to be able to live in peace,” Safadi stated.

“The war has to stop and it has to stop immediately,” he said.

The cost of human life

The international community has increased its calls for a ceasefire in light of Hamas assertions that over 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in war-related violence in Gaza, including over 4,000 children.

The war was sparked by the Hamas killing of over 1,200 people and its seizure of over 239 hostages when it infiltrated southern Israel on October 7.

Israel has insisted that it won’t halt the war until it has ousted Hamas from Gaza.

Safadi said that the destruction of Hamas is an impossible goal.

“Israel says it wants to wipe out Hamas,” Safadi stated. But “Hamas is an idea. You cannot bomb an idea out of existence. You aren’t happy with what Hamas is doing, convince them that they have a future. Reality has shown that the Palestinian people have nothing left to lose in the West Bank and Gaza,” he stressed.

Safadi rejected attempts by Israelis and others to compare Hamas to ISIS, due to the cruelty of the October 7 attack during which victims were burned alive, dismembered and raped.

“You cannot compare Hamas to ISIS. We all condemn the killing on October 7, but those broader characterizations seem to ignore the fact that Hamas did not create the conflict, the conflict created Hamas. Hamas is there because there is an occupation that is denying Palestinians their rights,” he said.

Safadi blamed the October 7 attack on the absence of any peace process that might lead to a two-state solution, while attempting to create regional peace by skipping over the need for Palestinian statehood.

“For years we have been warning about the absence of a political horizon. For years we have warned that the blockage of any horizon to resolving the Palestinian conflict will drag us to this moment,” he said.

The war is a result of a “fallacy of assuming you can parachute over the Palestinian issue to create regional peace,” he said.

“Tell me who is talking about any regional project at this point, it’s all about war, because there is an [Israeli] occupation that has not ended and there are no prospects of ending it,” Safadi stated.

If anything, he said, there is now a danger of Palestinian displacement from Gaza.

He could not help but note, Safadi said, that Israel’s war on Gaza was consistent with statements by Israeli politicians, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

They have said “The only way to move forward is to kick the Palestinians out of their ancestral land and to wipe the Palestinians off the face of the earth,” he said.

Moving forward, he said, the war must be stopped and a two-state solution created, that unites both the West Bank and Gaza.

“Israel will not have security until the Palestinians have security. The whole region will not have security if this conflict is not solved,” Safadi said. There has to be “peace and two states between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. Without that we will be in this over and over and over again,” he stressed.

Israel has no intention of handing Gaza over to the PA once the war is over, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday night as he rebuffed US pressure to do so.

“The Palestinian Authority in its current form is not able to take responsibility for Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “After we fought and did all this, how could we hand it over to them?”

He noted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has yet to condemn the October 7 massacre, which sparked the Gaza war, in which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and seized over 239 hostages.

“Abu Mazen [Abbas], 43 days after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, has refused to condemn it,” Netanyahu said, adding that there are Palestinian ministers who are celebrating the event.

In addition, the PA has a policy of paying monthly stipends to terrorists and their families, Netanyahu said, adding that it also educates its children to hate Jews.

Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/BRENDAN MCDERMID)

Why the PA is not appropriate leadership

He recalled that after the IDF withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it handed it over to the PA, which was then ousted by Hamas in a violent coup in 2007.

He recalled that after the IDF withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it handed it over to the PA, which was then ousted by Hamas in a violent coup in 2007.

“If there is no change here, what have we done? They [the PA] were already there, they were given the Gaza Strip and what happened? They were destroyed and chased out of there in less than a year,” Netanyahu said.

“There has to be a change here, that is my opinion and I stand by it,” he said.

Netanyahu spoke with reporters after US President Joe Biden published an opinion piece in The Washington Post in which he advocated for the return of the PA to Gaza.

Biden wrote, “As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution.”

Biden added that “there must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory.”

Netanyahu said there was an agreement with the US about ousting Hamas from Gaza and about the return of the hostages.

“I believe we will reach an agreement with the US also about this, that it is impossible to put in Gaza an authority that supports terror, abets terror, and pays terrorists,” he said.

Netanyahu also stressed that the IDF would retain military control of Gaza after the war.

“There is another condition that I set for the day after: the IDF will have complete freedom of action in the Gaza Strip against any threat. Only in this way will we guarantee the demilitarization of Gaza.”

He added that he has clarified that Israel won’t agree to a ceasefire until it has ousted Hamas and it would only agree to a temporary one in exchange for the return of all the hostages.

Netanyahu stressed that Israel won’t rest in its pursuit of eliminating Hamas, noting “all Hamas members are dead men whether they are located in or out of Gaza.”

The IDF announced on Saturday evening five soldiers were killed during the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip over the weekend.

Staff-Sgt. Adi Malik Harb, 19, was part of the Nahal Brigade, and was from the Druze village of Beit Jann, which has the highest percentage of fallen soldiers of a community in Israel. According to Kan News, 64 soldiers from the Druze town have fallen in battle. 

The IDF also announced the name of Master-Sgt. David (Dudi) Digmi, 43 from Rishon Lezion, a paramedic in the southern brigade of the Gaza Division, who was killed on October 7.

Four reservists injured

Four reservists from the 12th Brigade were seriously injured during the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday.

Additionally, a combat officer in the 17th Battalion was seriously wounded in fighting in the north of the Gaza Strip on Friday.

IDF soldiers continue ground operations in Gaza, one month after Hamas's devastating attacks, November 8, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

During other battles, fighters from the 46th, 52nd, and 101st Battalions were seriously wounded. The soldiers were evacuated for medical treatment and their families have been informed.

The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Saturday it had received "horrifying" images and footage of scores of people killed and injured in an attack on a UNRWA school in the north of Gaza.

"These attacks cannot become commonplace, they must stop. A humanitarian ceasefire cannot wait any longer," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on social media platform X.