Operation Swords of Iron: What happened on days 6-7?

Israel will destroy Hamas, no matter how long it takes, and will finish the war stronger, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an unusual address on Friday night.

"This is just the beginning," he said. "Our enemies have only begun paying the price and I will not say more. This is just the beginning."

Lapid: Netanyahu sent Israel into a frenzy for nothing

Opposition head Yair Lapid attacked Netanyahu for not giving any new information while inducing anxiety among Israelis for an unusual address during Shabbat. 

"How can Israel's prime minister send an entire nation into a frenzy for an unusual Friday night statement only to then say nothing on the hostages, the North, the evacuations," Lapid charged.

"A prime minister should not make these statements unless he has new information."

לא ייתכן שראש ממשלת ישראל יכניס מדינה שלמה לסחרור חרדה בהמתנה להצהרתו בשישי בלילה בזמן של חירום ואז לא יגיד דבר חדש לא על משפחות החטופים, לא על חזית הצפון, לא על המפונים. הצהרות כאלה לא עושה ראש ממשלה אלא אם כן יש לו מידע חדש להביא לעמו ולארצו.

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) October 13, 2023

During his short address, Netanyahu also stressed that Israel, through talks with US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin, is "ensuring the continuation of fighting" with American supply on its way to Israel.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly pausing normalization talks with Israel and the United States, a major diplomatic blow in the wake of Hamas’ invasion of Israel on Sautrday.

Bloomberg and Reuters on Friday quoted unnamed sources as saying that the Saudis were not ending the talks, but instead were freezing them until the violence abated. Israel has declared war in the wake of Hamas’ invasion, which killed and wounded thousands of civilians, and is widely expected to begin a ground invasion of Gaza soon.

Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also spoke with Iran’s president this week, signaling a retreat from the Biden administration’s efforts to isolate Iran, which backs Hamas.

Hamas invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 1,300 people, many of them civilians, wounding thousands and abducting more than a hundred. Israel’s war has the stated ambition of “ending Hamas.”

SAUDI CROWN Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas during the China-Arab summit in Riyadh, last year. (credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/REUTERS)

Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon that is a proxy for Iran, praised Hamas’ attack and said it should be seen as a message to Arab countries about the dangers of sidestepping the Palestinian cause while establishing ties with Israel. Four countries in the region have established relations with Israel in the last three years.

A letdown for the US

The Biden administration was deeply invested in the Saudi Arabia-Israel talks, seeing an agreement between the countries as a breakthrough for Israel’s regional acceptance, a blow to Iran’s regional ambitions and a diplomatic coup heading into a presidential election year. Part of the proposal was a US-Saudi defense pact, something the Saudis have longed for for years.

Bin Salman’s lengthy chat with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi was aimed at showing that “the kingdom is exerting maximum effort to engage with all international and regional parties to halt the ongoing escalation,” Reuters quoted a Saudi statement as saying. Taking the call from Raisi signals Saudi recognition of a legitimate Iranian stake in the Israel-Hamas war, which Israel vehemently rejects.

John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, would not confirm the talks’ suspension in a phone call he had with members of the press, but he said the United States could do little to move peace forward without the committed involvement of the parties.

“We have every intention of staying at the task of trying to pursue an Israel that is more integrated into the region, a more cooperative region, and we still believe in the promise of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and we have no intention of not continuing to pursue that,” Kirby said.

“But obviously, these are sovereign nations, they get to decide for themselves at what pace they’re willing to move, under what conditions and certainly the degree to which they want to continue that effort,” he added. “If they continue the effort, if that’s where they, too, want to go, they will find no better friend than the United States in pursuit of that.”

United Hatzalah purchased $15 million USD (approximately NIS 59,653,800.00) worth of medical supplies to support injured Israelis during the ongoing war against Hamas. However, despite their record-breaking purchase, the organization fears that they will not have enough to support the influx of injured people.

“We are purchasing more than $15 million worth of medical supplies to restock and be prepared for the continuation of the conflict,” said President and Founder of United Hatzalah Eli Beer. “This is the single largest medical supply purchase that this organization has ever made, and I fear it won’t be enough.” 

The group has now sent thousands of volunteers to provide first aid support for communities on the frontline of Hamas’ attack, near the Gaza border. Over 2000 people have received treatment from these volunteers, many of whom required urgent medical treatment with bandages, tourniquets, oxygen and CPR. 

“As a result of this barbaric attack of historic proportions, the likes of which we have not seen since the Holocaust, we are responding on the southern front, and preparing for the possibility of a need on other fronts as well,” explained Vice President of Operations Dov Maisel. “We are purchasing medical equipment at a rate that has never been done before to supply all of our volunteers that are on the ground and leaving their families to save the lives of those most affected by this human tragedy. We need to be able to continue to give these volunteers the tools they need, both medical supplies and bullet-proof vests and helmets, to do their job safely.”

Medical kits being packed by UH teams and volunteers to head to the southern border.jpeg (credit: UNITED HATZALAH‏)

Maisel concluded by saying, “In the past five days, hundreds of lives have been saved by the hard work of our selfless volunteers and their indomitable spirit. Jews, Christians, and Muslims, all banding together for the common goal of saving lives. Nothing is holier, and we need help to keep doing it.” 

How is the organization funding urgent medical services?

United Hatzalah has launched an urgent fundraising campaign to cover the growing medical costs of the war. The goal for the organization is $20 million USD and over $10 million USD has already been collected from generous donors.

“Everything we do is based on donations, we get no government funding. If we have donations to purchase medical equipment, we can continue to save lives. Without donations, we can’t. It’s as simple as that,” Beer explained. 

Donations can be made via the organization’s website:  https://israelrescue.org/campaign/israel-at-war/ 

Jewish New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov was arrested on Friday after appearing with a handgun outside a pro-Palestinian protest, as tensions flared in the city following Hamas’ devastating attack on Israel and Israel’s military response in Gaza.

Vernikov, a Republican, attended the protest at Brooklyn College on Thursday afternoon to repudiate the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

“There is a ton of police and we made sure that Jewish students feel safe,” she said in a video she posted from the scene to X, as protesters chanted “Free Palestine” behind her.

She also brought a gun, according to police, and images from the scene that showed a gun tucked into her waistband. While Vernikov had a license to own a gun, guns are not permitted in “sensitive locations” in New York, including on college campuses and at protests.

One image was posted on social media by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, a progressive group, which charged that Vernikov “brought a GUN to a rally to intimidate students” and used the hashtag #ExpelVernikov.

STORES, PHARMACIES, social services and restaurants serve Russian-speaking immigrants on Brighton Beach Avenue, a popular commercial district that runs parallel to the Coney Island boardwalk in Brooklyn. (credit: JULIA GERGELY/JTA)

Police contacted Vernikov after the images circulated and she turned herself in to the NYPD’s 70th precinct, where she was charged with criminal possession of a firearm. A protest is considered a “sensitive location” under New York firearms law, and criminal possession at such an event is a felony.

Vernikov surrendered her firearms license at the precinct and could face further consequences.

The New York City Council said in a statement that the incident was being investigated and “may require the recusal of committee members.”

The council said, “It is unacceptable and unlawful for a civilian to ever bring a firearm to a rally or protest, and especially important for elected officials to model a respect for the law that is expected of all New Yorkers.”

New York gun laws apply equally to everyone

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “New York’s gun safety laws apply to everyone.”

New York State Senator Julia Salazar said on X, “There is no excuse, none whatsoever, for an elected official to bring a firearm to a college campus in New York.”

Officially a licensed gun owner! pic.twitter.com/5W4GQYyXXb

— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) September 5, 2023

Vernikov, a lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. She posted on social media last month that she was officially a licensed gun owner, adding that she was going to bring the firearm “to as many places as I’m legally allowed to.” She also signaled that she was interested in a challenge to New York’s concealed carry law that seeks to widen the number of places where guns can be brought.

Vernikov, 39, is the City Council minority whip representing the 48th district in south Brooklyn and was elected to office in 2021. Born in what is today Ukraine, she represents parts of south Brooklyn with a significant Jewish population, including many immigrants from the former Soviet Union. She has been heavily involved in Jewish and pro-Israel causes, both as a city council member and before taking office.

Ahead of the protest, she released a statement urging caution due to the war but said the NYPD reported no credible threats of violence or terror in New York.

In a video posted from the rally, she described the demonstrators as “nothing short of terrorists, without the bombs.”

On Friday, as pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated in Manhattan, Vernikov was silent on the issue. Instead, she tweeted prayers for people in Israel and thanks to those trying to help stranded Americans get home.

One of the first responses focused on her arrest. “There’s news being broadcast that you were arrested and charged with a felony for carrying your firearm near a school. A firearm that you had a Concealed Carry permit to carry. Is this true?” one commenter replied. “Do you have an attorney yet? Can we set up a fund to help you?”

Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti asked the public prosecutor's office to deal with cases of antisemitism "swiftly and strictly" in a television interview on Thursday.

“Antisemitism is not an opinion, it’s an offense. Apology for terrorism is an offense punishable by five years’ imprisonment, and seven years when it received a certain level of exposure,” he said.

He cited several far-left French groups as being targeted under the new enforcement guidelines, as well as individuals associated with Palestinian extremist organizations, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

This article was reported and written by a graduate of JTA’s Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with Jewish teens around the world to report on issues that affect their lives.

Around 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, Nir, a 16-year-old from the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, woke to the sound of alarms outside her window, alerting her of oncoming rockets. Her city was being attacked by bombs and rockets. She was overwhelmed by panic and the smell of fire.

Not long after, all electricity cut off in her city, leaving her and her family without access to their television, the internet and their building’s elevator. Along with her parents, sister and dog, she went to their apartment’s safe room and then evacuated to their building’s general shelter.

“We heard a boom from nowhere and with that, the rocket was hitting our building,” said Nir, who is now staying with her cousins in Petah Tikva, a city outside of Tel Aviv. (Later, she learned the missile hit in front of their building.) “I freaked out. I was very panicked. I didn’t know how to react. I was shocked.”

Ever since, Nir, who requested anonymity out of safety concerns, said she gets nauseated and nervous every time she hears the sound of alarms or rockets. “I had a panic attack on Saturday, and now I’m in a better place, but I’m still nervous from everything,” she said. “Every step, every little noise I hear I get nervous from out of nowhere.”

Israelis inside a public bomb shelter in the Southern city of Ashkelon, October 12, 2023. (credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)

One of many

Nir is one of many Israeli teens JTA talked to who are struggling with their mental health since the war began. At least 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed when Hamas invaded that Saturday morning; 150 are missing and presumed taken captive. With the future unknown and with the memories of previous attacks, Israeli teens are fighting their own battles.

Eliyah Hajjaj, a 15-year-old from Beersheba, a city 30 miles west of Gaza, struggles to sleep since the attacks. “I can never calm down,” he said. “I’m sleeping just three hours a day. Every time I have nightmares. I am really scared.” 

For teens like Nevo, who lives about three miles from the Gaza border beyond which Hamas regularly launches missile barrages, rockets are nothing new.

“Ever since I can remember, it was like this,” the 16-year-old said. (Nevo requested his last name and town name not be shared out of concerns over social media harassment.) He knew this time was different once his WhatsApp group chats started mentioning the presence of Hamas terrorists on Israeli soil. 

Those terrorists tried to enter his town but were killed before they could, his parents explained. 

While Nevo and his family remain physically unharmed, he knows teenagers and adults in his community who have been killed. “They came to kill citizens, to kill my friends, to kill me. They came to murder me,” said Nevo. “In my worst nightmares, I did not imagine this situation happening.”

As a child, Nevo had nightmares that terrorists would invade his town and he would need to be the hero. “But this time, I couldn’t be the hero. I was sitting in silence.”

Days after the beginning of this war, Nevo continues to struggle mentally. Activities Nevo used to enjoy like scrolling on Instagram have turned somber as his social media feeds fill with horrifying images of violence and tragic reports of the dead and missing. Doing his homework is also a struggle as he cannot stop thinking about the recent tragedies.

Schools, meanwhile, were closed after the attacks, and were only to open gradually this week.

In an effort to cope, Nevo is helping those in his community. He cooks meals for families in need and plays with neighborhood children to help them stay distracted.

Further north, Tel Aviv teenagers Bar Mandel and Jessica Nasach have also turned to volunteering. 

While Tel Aviv was out of range from the worst of Hamas’ attacks, many of its residents were forced into shelters through the first few days of the assault while its normally lively streets turned quiet. To stay occupied, many of its young citizens are eager to find ways they can help the cause. Rather than waiting for news at home all day, Bar, Nasach and several other Tel Aviv teens and adults have been cooking meals for IDF soldiers and others in need. The group volunteers at Shuk Tzafon, a popular Israeli market filled with restaurants that offer their kitchens to help make hot meals for soldiers. 

Volunteering “really helped me a lot, because then I don’t feel helpless. When I’m sitting at home, I feel like I’m just waiting for something bad to happen. I feel awful when I’m just sitting and doing nothing,” said Mandel. 

So far, Mandel estimates that the group has made over 3,000 meals, with an average of about 800 a day. She and her group plan on continuing to prepare food on weekdays for the time being.

Nasach feels guilty for being in relative safety compared to those living in the South. “You feel guilty about the fact that you’re able to eat, sleep and others can’t do that,” the 16-year-old said. The volunteering lessons her guilt, but when she returns home, the cycle of emotions continues. 

All the teens are waiting to wake from what feels like a walking nightmare. “We just want peace. We want to wake up in the morning at 6 a.m. and not hear alarms from nowhere and find out that there are people being kidnapped,” said Nir, the teen from Ashkelon. “We just want to be in a very safe place, a calm place.”

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will conduct an defense exercise at the David Institute in Kiryat Bialik from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. During that time extreme noise may be heard.

The rescue and security forces are informed about the activity.
 

The police arrested an Arab-Israeli nurse who works at Emek Medical Center in Afula after he was suspected of expressing support for Hamas, according to the Hebrew website Mako. 

The nurse expressed support for Hamas during an argument with another nurse, also an Arab-Israeli from the northern Bedouin community, whose brother is serving in the IDF and is currently deployed in the south, the site said, noting eyewitness reports. 

'Emek is an island of coexistence'

The authorities initially decided not to arrest him after investigating but to report for questioning at the police station the following day. However, they reversed their decision after a few minutes and arrested him.

"Emek is an island of coexistence within a very complex and challenging reality," the hospital responded. "Our staff has experienced difficult security days and has always excelled in overcoming crises and divisions to focus on saving lives. 

"The case details are under investigation, and we are waiting for its completion," the hospital continued. "In any case, we call on all parties to exercise restraint. We will show zero tolerance towards anyone who undermines the spirit of Emek and our ethical commitment."

American news broadcaster NBC published documents on Saturday recovered from Hamas terrorists killed in southern Israel that show detailed plans to target children and young people from Sa'ad, a religious kibbutz in the Negev desert.

The documents included everything from maps specifying the location of kindergartens and schools, plans for how many to kill and take hostage, as well as detailed escape plans. Although schools in Israel are closed on Saturdays, many Israeli children play in the basketball or soccer courts at the schools.

The documents labeled "top secret" were given to NBC reporters by Israeli first responders. 

Documents also contained orders for two highly trained Hamas terror units to surround and infiltrate villages and target places where civilians, especially locations where children are likely to be.

The documents include orders such as "kill as many as possible" and "capture hostages."

An ISIS flag seen at Israel's kibbutz Sufa following a massacre by infiltarting Hamas terrorists, pictured on October 11, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The documents describe maneuvers and tactics similar to those seen on video during attacks on the town.

Refute Hamas

The discoveries refute claims by Hamas that the massacre was committed by Gazan civilians, showing instead that Hamas planned this attack meticulously and carefully, with one Israeli defense source telling NBC, "the level of specificity would cause anyone in the intelligence field's jaw to drop."

Another official told NBC he was astounded by the degree of planning that went into ensuring maximum civilian casualties. He said, "I've never seen this kind of detailed planning" for a mass terrorist attack.

Some of the details are exactly how the vehicles should drive to the target villages, the length of the platoon train, and the shape and length of each group on the motorbikes.

The wider group of documents showed that Hamas had been systematically gathering intelligence on each kibbutz bordering Gaza and creating specific plans of attack for each town, including the intentional targeting of women and children.

Israeli officials are currently in the process of analyzing and investigating the documents.

The United States has asked Israel to postpone its ground offensive until the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, Israeli media reported Saturday morning. 

According to the report, it was unclear what the Israeli response was to the request.