Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 172?

In an abandoned kibbutz in Israel's evacuation zone near the Lebanese border, Lior Shelef has stayed behind to keep watch as a reservist in a protection force. He still tends the cows and chickens, even as Hezbollah rockets keep coming closer.

The chicken coops had been damaged in a rocket attack, and the frequent sound of explosions panicked the animals.

"We don't know what will happen tomorrow. We don't know if the day will escalate to be worse or better," he said.

"If the chicken is very afraid because of the noise of the rockets, how will it affect her life? Maybe she will die from a heart attack."

Over 2,000 rockets have been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza when Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah group launched a campaign of attacks in support of Hamas Islamists.

Around 100,000 Israelis have had to evacuate from the area around the northern border, as have tens of thousands of Lebanese from communities on the opposite side.

The IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police conducted a special overnight mission, which resulted in the killing of terrorists by sniper fire and aircraft strikes, as well as the demolition of hidden explosives, the IDF announced on Wednesday.

Additionally, the operation led to the arrest of ten suspects who were wanted throughout the West Bank, the IDF added.

In the Menashe region of the West Bank, IDF aircraft killed two terrorists, and combat engineers demolished a vehicle that was storing ready-to-use explosive charges. Two suspects were arrested from there as well.

In Jenin, a terrorist threw an explosive at IDF soldiers but ended up harming other terrorists. The soldiers subsequently killed the terrorist. Combat engineers discovered additional explosives buried under vehicle axles in the area and discovered weapons that were confiscated.

"It is possible to combine Torah and the army," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a message to the haredi Jewish community during a speech at the National Religious Sector Managers' Conference in Eilat on Wednesday.

"This great enterprise of the Hesder Yeshivas, which proves that it is possible to combine Torah and the army, places a very great demand on our ultra-Orthodox brothers as well. We need you, Israel's security needs you, and the people of Israel need you with us with this great privilege of helping Israel in a time of need," said Smotrich.

"A great deal of Torah and fear of God is possible, along with responsibility, carrying a burden, and military service. We will do it together, and we are determined to do it," he added.

Avigdor Liberman sends a message to the High Court of Justice 

Earlier Wednesday, Yisrael Beytenu CHairman, MK Avigdor Liberman sent a preemptive message to the High Court of Justice before it met to discuss the haredi draft bill.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh visited Iran this week for a kind of victory lap, claiming that Israel had met none of its goals so far in the war in Gaza. 

His visit to Iran comes around a week before the six-month anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. 

The fact that the Hamas leadership continues to jet around the Middle East, holding meetings in Iran and then flying back to Qatar, a major non-NATO ally of the US, illustrates that Hamas continues to feel it has impunity after October 7.

In fact, Hamas has suffered no real consequences for the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. 

Several Hamas leaders, such as Saleh Al-Arouri and Marwan Issa, have been killed, and an estimated 10,000 Hamas fighters have been eliminated. Thousands were detained, the organization’s top leadership was intact, and it continued to believe it was winning.

Amid ongoing war, acute food shortages in Gaza, and the threat of an Israeli military operation, an increasing number of Palestinians are searching for an escape route contingent on their financial ability.

Gazans must navigate financial burdens and scams to secure a spot on the list for entry into Egyp through the Rafah crossing. 

This lengthy process, compounded by prevalent financial shortages, prolongs the suffering of Palestinians with no end in sight.

Currently, the Rafah border crossing remains closed to most Gazans. A select few, including foreign passport holders, the seriously wounded or ill, and occasionally students, may leave Gaza. 

Other residents can reach Egypt but must pay exorbitant fees ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 per person.

This money ends up in the pockets of Egyptian agencies, like the Hala Foundation and the Organi Group, both owned by founder Ibrahim Al Organi. 

Since 2015, these companies have exclusively secured travel permits for Gazan Palestinians to Egypt, profiting from this arrangement.

M. is a writer from Gaza. He spoke to The Jerusalem Post from his current location in the southern Gaza Strip, alongside hundreds of thousands of other displaced Gazans.

What is the current situation in Rafah?

“The current situation in Rafah is relatively calm, but people are also anticipating the start of the battle in Rafah, with civilians fearing yet another displacement mechanism from the Israeli army,” M. said. “The displaced suffer daily, mainly psychologically, due to the length of the war, but secondly, due to financial weakness, the lack of sources of income and the lack of purchasing power due to the exorbitant rise in prices.”

M. holds that the high prices are not due to a lack of goods. “The Rafah crossing is operating well, and aid enters in a very large amount, and there is never a shortage. However, the distribution of aid is in the hands of Hamas, which means it does not reach all the displaced people."

IDF combat aircraft attacked a military structure Tuesday night in the Habbariyeh region in southern Lebanon, the IDF reported.

A terrorist affiliated with an Islamic Jihad organization was in the targeted building. The terrorist reportedly had previously contributed to attacks against Israel and was killed alongside other terrorists who were located in the building.

At least seven people were killed in an Israeli strike on Nabatieh in Southern Lebanon, Reuters reported, citing two security sources on Wednesday.

Hezbollah responded to strikes

Hezbollah responded to the attacks, saying, "The attack against Habbariyeh, which is located south of Lebanon, will not go unpunished," according to Maariv. 

Smoke and fire rise from a building following an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, amid the ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and the IDF, in this screengrab taken from an undated handout video released on November 24, 2023. (credit: IDF/Handout via REUTERS)

The strike appeared to be targeted at the Islamic Group's emergency and relief center in Hebbariyeh village in Southern Lebanon, the sources told Reuters.

On Tuesday, Israeli air strikes near two towns in northeast Lebanon killed three Hezbollah terrorists, the group posted on Telegram, and Israel confirmed the strikes.

Eylon Levy, the recently-suspended Israeli government spokesperson, has now been terminated from his position, according an N12 report on Wednesday night.

N12 reported that the government spokesperon's office has decided to dismiss Eylon Levy from his position in the coming days on Tuesday night.

The government's decision to oust him from his role as the "national spokesman" in foreign media was made due to a series of diplomatic incidents in which he was involved - including an unusual response to a tweet by the British Foreign Minister.

IDF forces have begun an operation in the Jenin refugee camp to locate weapons and arrest wanted persons, according to Palestinian media reports from Tuesday night.

(JTA) — Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s assertion earlier this month that Turkey “firmly backs” Hamas was the culmination of months in which the Turkish president has lambasted Israel’s war in Gaza.

The feud between the two countries did not end there. Last week, Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish envoy for a reprimand after Erdogan berated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said God would “make him miserable and curse him.” 

Israel’s foreign minister shot back on social media, “There is no God who will listen to those who support the atrocities and crimes against humanity committed by your barbaric Hamas friends. Be quiet and shame on you!”