Israel at war: What happened on day 16?

A poll commissioned by the Israel Victory Project found that 70% of the Israeli public wants ‘eliminating Hamas’ to be the primary objective of Operation Swords of Iron. 54% of the respondents who said they had voted for an Arab party in the last election chose this option.

A separate answer, that the primary objective should be to ‘disarm Hamas completely,’ received 13% of responses. Only 15% of respondents chose ‘the unconditional release of captives’ as their choice for the operation’s primary objective.

The poll did not define ‘eliminating Hamas,’ but it did ask respondents who they thought ‘should rule Gaza after the overthrow of the Hamas regime.’

On this, respondents were almost evenly split into four camps: 24% said that Israel should govern Gaza, 22% chose the Palestinian Authority, 19% chose ‘Arab nations,’ and another 24% chose, simply, ‘new leadership in Gaza.’

When given a choice between ‘launching a ground operation in Gaza to eradicate Hamas’ or ‘avoiding a ground operation and finding another way to deal with Hamas,’ 68% said they would choose the ground invasion, while 25% chose the more nebulous second option. 

Asked how much consideration Israel should give to its opinion abroad, 43% of respondents said Israel must consider the perspective of allies, particularly the United States, while 55% responded that Israel ‘must ignore external demands and make its own security decisions.’

Asked whether, ‘if Saudi Arabia demands significant concessions to the Palestinian Authority by Israel as the price for formal ties,’ Israel should agree to the terms, 72% said no, while 21% said yes.

Billboard displayed near Prime Minister Bennett’s home, June 17, 2021. (credit: Courtesy)

Poll supports the views of the group that commissioned it

The Israel Victory Project (IVP), which commissioned the poll, states as its purpose “to put an end to the Palestinian resistance and thus ensure conditions for ending the conflict with the Palestinians and the bloodshed.”

The group argues on its website that “Only after [the Palestinians] acknowledge the defeat of their struggle against Israel will it be possible to negotiate the final settlement.” 

In 2022, before the national elections which resulted in the current (pre-war) government, the group paid for billboards in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv depicting Arab lawmakers wrapped in Israeli flags, with the caption “This is what a picture of victory will look like.”

Condemning “leaders like [Ahmed] Tibi and [Ayman] Odeh” as “pouring oil on the fire,” Gregg Roman, Director of the Middle East Forum, said that “the violence and the bloodshed will stop only when [Palestinians] have accepted that the war against Jewish sovereignty has ended.” 

For many years prior to the outbreak of this most recent war, the IVP has been advocating a “total elimination” of Hamas. In 2021, the group sponsored a billboard outside then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s house, reading “The nation demands victory!” Roman, speaking on the subject of Bennett’s inauguration, said that “the most important issue on the agenda should be to address restoring security for the citizens of Israel, and eliminating Hamas.” 

Respondents split on worst failure of Oct. 7

The poll also asked respondents “Which do you see as key mistakes leading to the catastrophic failure on Oct. 7?” With more than one answer permitted, 27% replied “A military that relies too much on defensive measures,” 29% replied “Poor intelligence capabilities,” 49% responded “Misconduct by the political echelon,” and 29% replied “The wrong ‘concept’ about Hamas.”

The poll was conducted by Shlomo Filber and Zuriel Sharon through Direct Polls Ltd on October 17, 2023. 1,086 Israeli adults were sampled with a statistical sampling error of 4.0%.

Israeli airline El Al has been adding seats to its flights to bring home Israelis stuck abroad and reserve soldiers required to report for duty.

Passengers who agreed to this arrangement were seated in flight attendants' seats or, in some cases, even in extra seats in the cockpit. 

There were reports that Boeing 787 planes, which typically carry up to 270 passengers, departed with around 30 additional passengers on board.

Similarly, Boeing 737 planes, which officially accommodate 175 passengers, flew with an additional ten people aboard. 

The Civil Aviation Authority granted approval for this change, and passengers gave their consent to fly in this manner to minimize waiting times for their flights to Israel. 

(credit: INGIMAGE)

A first since Operation Solomon

Some passengers even resorted to sleeping on the floor of the planes. This marks the first significant example of this kind of operation since Operation Solomon in 1991, when El Al transported Ethiopian Jewry to Israel. During one flight, 1,086 passengers boarded an El Al Boeing 747, and 1,088 disembarked after two passengers gave birth during the flight.

One passenger returning to Israel from Tokyo via Bangkok shared their experience on Facebook. 

According to the post, the terminal in Bangkok was crowded with young backpackers eager to return to Israel and enlist in the reserves. Before boarding started, passengers without seats were told to wait as the airline would attempt to accommodate everyone.

The El Al staff managed to find room for more than twenty young people, placing them in the crew's folding chairs. The captain then granted permission to board an additional ten passengers. 

The passenger expressed their amazement at the sight of dozens of people seated on the floor, occupying every possible space, including near the cockpit, in business class, and throughout the plane. 

El Al has recently faced turmoil due to the refusal of its owners, Kenny Rosenberg and his son Eli, to allow extensive operations on Shabbat, even during the war. El Al typically does not operate flights on Shabbat, but last weekend, four non-commercial and non-profit flights were carried out for reserve soldiers and security forces personnel stranded abroad at the start of the war.

These flights were financed by donations and covered by El Al, providing free transportation to the passengers. Since October 7, El Al has added an additional 108 flights to meet the increased demand for flights to Israel and counterbalance the suspension of flights by most foreign airlines. Notably, 21 flights were scheduled to Larnaca, 19 to Athens, 18 to New York, and 11 to Bangkok.

The IDF attacked a terrorist squad that launched an anti-tank missile in the area of ​​Har Dov, the IDF announced on Sunday morning. 

An IDF tank was attacked a short time ago by a terrorist squad that launched a missile at the tank in the Har Dov area.

There are no casualties to IDF soldiers. 

Muhammad Qassem Sawalha, a Hamas terrorist who ran operations in the West Bank, has been enjoying life in a British, state-funded home in the London borough of Barnet, The Sunday Times reported. Barnet also houses one-fifth of all British Jews.

Sawalha recently purchased his council property, after living there since 2003, with a £112,000 discount (approximately NIS 552,493.53) with the help of the UK’s right-to-buy scheme.

The two-story property comes with a garden and a garage and is located only a 10-minute drive from the nearest synagogue.

The terrorist entered Britain through the use of a relative’s passport in the 1990s and has since claimed British citizenship, the Times reported.

Hamas is a recognized terrorist organization in the United Kingdom and supporting Hamas can lead to a 14-year prison sentence under the Terrorism Act.

A protester holds a flag as he sits on a traffic light post during a pro-Palestine demonstration outside Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2021 (credit: REUTERS/HENRY NICHOLLS)

Remote work for Hamas

While living in the UK, 62-year-old Sawalha was able to continue his work for Hamas remotely, through helping the terrorist organization launder money, the Times reported while citing a US Department of Justice indictment.

The Hamas terrorist took part in a 2019 visit to Moscow in an official capacity, where he served as Hamas’s politburo between 2013 and 2017.

In 2009, Sawalha signed a declaration that praised Allah for having “routed the Zionist Jews”,  and called for weapons to be sent to Gaza, while demanding a “Third Jihadist Front. 

How are British officials reacting?

The council’s leader, Barry Rawlings, told the Times that he was “horrified to think [Sawalha] could be living in our midst” and said he had launched a review. 

“We will liaise with other stakeholders including the police and the government in reviewing the full history of this case and will take all appropriate action.

“This has emerged at a time when communities locally are in desperate need of reassurance following the escalating conflict in the Middle East, and we have a responsibility as the council to ensure we can give that reassurance.”

UK Lawyers for Israel reported on Sawalha’s background in 2020 and informed counterterrorism police. Now, an investigation is being launched on whether the tenancy violated sanctions.

The IDF attacked a terrorist squad that launched an anti-tank missile in the area of ​​Har Dov, the IDF announced on Sunday morning. 

An IDF tank was attacked a short time ago by a terrorist squad that launched a missile at the tank in the Har Dov area.

There are no casualties to IDF soldiers. 

According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, 212 families of the hostages have been updated, according to Israeli media reports.

This is a developing story.

IDF spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari issued announced on Sunday morning that, "Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are using the population and the symbols of Islam as a human shield. Since the beginning of the war, we have arrested over 450 Hamas terrorists in the West Bank. We are working to prevent terrorism. In Gaza, we have increased our attacks and dozens of terrorists have been killed."

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd 0293.HK said it has canceled all flights between Hong Kong and Tel Aviv from Sunday to Dec. 31 in view of the latest situation in Israel.

In a statement, the airline said customers who have already begun their journey and have not received a message from Cathay Pacific are advised to check the current status of their booking.

Palestinians said they had received renewed warnings from Israel's military to move from north Gaza to the south of the strip, with the added warning that they could be identified as sympathisers with a "terrorist organisation" if they stayed put.

The message was delivered in leaflets marked with the Israel Defense Forces name and logo from Saturday and sent to people via mobile phone audio messages across the Gaza Strip, a narrow territory that is just 45 km (28 miles) long.

"Urgent warning, to residents of Gaza. Your presence north of Wadi Gaza puts your life in danger. Whoever chooses not to leave north Gaza to the south of Wadi Gaza might be identified as an accomplice in a terrorist organisation," the leaflet said.

A formation of Israeli tanks is positioned near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 21, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA)

The attack that shook Israel 

Israel has pounded Gaza with airstrikes since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7. Israel has massed troops and armour on the border with Gaza ahead of an expected land incursion.

Israel has previously warned Palestinians to move south, although Palestinians said they had not previously been told they could be considered "terrorist" sympathisers if they did not. They also say making the journey south remains highly risky amid airstrikes and say areas of the south have also been hit.

Many families who left Gaza to the south said they had lost relatives during the Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza.

A USB containing detailed instructions on how to make a "cyanide dispersion device" was found on the deceased body of a Hamas terrorist who participated in the October 7 attack, according to Barak Ravid at Axios.

Ravid claimed that two Israeli Foreign Ministry officials and a copy of a classified Foreign Ministry cable confirmed the find. However, the authenticity of the Hamas file has not been independently verified. 

It is yet unclear if Hamas intends to mass produce chemical weapons or even if the group has begun production. 

Neither the Israeli Foreign Ministry nor a Hamas spokesperson issued a comment regarding the find.

THE BELONGINGS of festivalgoers are seen at the site of the Supernova festival, at which Awad Darawshe was working when Hamas unleashed its massacre on October 7. (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)

The origins of the weapon

The recipe for the chemical weapon has been traced back to a 2003 Al-Qaeda manual, said Ravid citing the cable. 

"This finding points to an intention by Hamas to use chemical weapons as part of its terror attack against civilians," the cable alleged.

The Foreign Ministry allegedly sent the original file in English to Israeli embassies and asked them to privately pass it along to their host governments.