Israel at War: What happened on day 20?

Israeli air strikes have killed approximately 50 Israeli hostages, Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson, Abu Obaida, wrote on the terrorist group's Telegram channel on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF revealed Abu Obaida's true identity as Hudhayfah Kahlot.

"Al-Qassam Brigades estimates that the number of Zionist prisoners killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Zionist bombing and massacres reached approximately 50 people," the Telegram statement said.

The spokesperson did not give any further details and the Jerusalem Post has not been able to verify the numbers.

Over 500 international journalists have been briefed at the Sderot Communication Center in Sderot. Established in collaboration with the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry, the Government Press Office, and the Sderot Municipality, the center offers insights into the Swords of Iron War and the October 7th Hamas-initiated massacre. 

The facility, equipped with advanced media technology, has been a hub for interviews with affected families, government officials, and diplomats from 40 countries.

Mayor Alon Davidi emphasized in a statement the center's pivotal role in projecting the truth of the conflict, especially the atrocities committed in Sderot and the Gaza envelope by Hamas. He believes the center's efforts will shape global perceptions, countering narratives from outlets like Al Jazeera and campaigns such as BDS. The emphasis is on presenting the lived experiences of residents who have endured over 20 years of rocket terror.

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli stated that the Sderot communication center is crucial for revealing the October 7th Hamas atrocities in the Gaza Envelope and underscores the importance of confronting them.

Various branches within Israel's Defense Ministry have made strides in a joint effort to repair areas of the border fence and clear ordnance from the area, the IDF said on Thursday.

"During the past few weeks, we have been establishing the surveillance system under threat and in a task-oriented and determined manner,”  Brigadier General Ofir Abram, Commander of Battalion 414 said. “Our forces are constantly working to repair the assets, locate the enemy, and destroy it."

Seven residents of Ma'alot-Tarshiha, a northern Israeli town near the Lebanon border, arrived at the Galilee Medical Center (GMC) in Nahariya after their homes were damaged by a fallen IDF drone, the GMC spokesperson said on Thursday.

The injured include five adults ranging from 34 to 66 years of age, and two children aged 5 and 11. All of the individuals had suffered from shock as well as minor physical injuries as a result of smoke inhalation.

All seven were released from hospital care with the exception of the 66-year-old man who was transferred to the internal medicine department.

The United States and France are separately pushing for a revival of a two-state peace process after the end of the Gaza war.

“Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side in safety, dignity, and peace,” US President Joe Biden told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.

"The strategic goal is to revoke Hamas' military capabilities," Major-General in Reserve Amos Yadlin, the former head of the intelligence branch, said in an interview with Army Radio on Wednesday. Yadlin emphasized that the US is "100% behind us" on this objective.

On the topic of the delay in the anticipated ground invasion, Yadlin stated, "The delay on the ground invasion is not because of American pressure." He provided clarity, mentioning two pivotal reasons: "One, is to try, before the step, to do a humanitarian step of, at least, the return of the children... The 9-month-old baby, children under the age of 14... Everyone needs to come home." He further elaborated that the US requested "a number of days because the Iranians are attacking their forces in the Middle East."

Yadlin also touched upon Qatar's association with Hamas, explaining, "Yes, Hamas is part of the same axis of the Muslim Brotherhood, in Egypt, in Qatar, in Turkey." But he was quick to counter, "It was not Qatar who invented Hamas." When probed about Israel's current dialogue with Qatar, Yadlin's stance was firm: "If we will need the help of the Satan that is named Qatar, to bring the women, the children, the injured, all of our people from Gaza, we have to do it. And the score will be settled later."

The IDF and Shin Bet have killed the head of the rocket firing of northern Khan Yunis for Hamas, according to a statement from the IDF.

IAF fighter jets eliminated the commander, Hassan al-Abdallah, and was directed by intelligence information from the Shin Bet.

This is a developing story.

Minister Benny Gantz said that as former IDF chief of staff and former defense minister, he bore some responsibility for Hamas's attack on October 7 in a briefing on Thursday.

"Anyone who has been part of the leadership or defense of the State of Israel in any role cannot shake off the responsibility for what happened," he said. "For more than 20 years, I've held key roles in the defense of Israel. I am not releasing myself from the responsibility for things that happened or didn't happen."

He did, however, voice the same sentiment of others in the government, saying that Israel would have to wait until after the war for a full investigation to hold those at fault responsible.

Israeli soldiers at a staging area near the Israeli-Gaza border, October 24, 2023 (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

In the meantime, Gantz said he believed entering the government was the right decision.

"It's been two weeks since we entered the emergency government and established the war cabinet," he said. "I can say with full confidence that it was the right move for the State of Israel, and this has already proven itself in decision-making, in the diplomatic and security functioning, in the internal message to Israeli society, and in the external message to our enemies."

He also denied that the cabinet was not getting along with other defense officials and said that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's demand for an addition from the far-right was not a good idea.

As for National Unity's future in the government after the war, Gantz assured Israel that "just as I knew when to enter the government, I'll know when to get out."

Gantz went on to say that the cabinet and the IDF were preparing for the next steps in the war but did not go into detail, saying only that Israel would act bearing in mind its continued international legitimacy and that bringing the hostages home was high up in the priorities of the war.

He ended his briefing saying that a ceremony had been planned for Thursday to mark 28 years since the assassination of then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. The ceremony had been cancelled, but Gantz recalled a quote from the former prime minister.

"We will no longer trust others, kind as they are. Only we will protect ourselves and every Jew. Behind our tears, stands a nation and a strong - and just - power." 

Any country providing aid to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip indirectly supports Hamas, thereby breaking United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, explained Prof. Avi Bell of Bar-Ilan University's Faculty of Law.

He said the resolution, which was adopted by the UN Security Council in 2001 and is therefore legally binding, includes several duties states have to fight terrorist organizations and in that list is not providing any form of support - active or passive, direct or indirect.

"As long as we have a degree of certainty that some of the aid [entering from Egypt to Gaza via the Rafah crossing] is being diverted to Hamas - and we do have that certainty - then all the states of the world must refrain from providing this indirect support to Hamas," Bell said.

Bell first spoke during a MediaCentral briefing earlier this week and subsequently in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.

He stated that since Hamas assumed control of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority 16 years ago, it has redirected international aid intended for its citizens to support its efforts to attack Israel and carry out acts of terror.

Qatari Amiri Air Force crew load food and medical aid to their cargo plane from the Qatar Fund for Development headed to Egypt for Gaza, at Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar, October 16, 2023. (credit: QATAR NEWS AGENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Int'l reading of the law is 'ironic and somewhat sad'

Bell noted that this diversion encompassed a wide range of activities. For instance, there were allegations that Hamas appropriated fuel and medical supplies from the United Nations meant for refugees in the Gaza Strip. Bell also mentioned cases where Hamas repurposed water pipes laid by the European Union, originally intended to deliver water to residents, for use in constructing rockets. Additionally, Hamas has taken control of trucks delivering goods and seized them for its purposes.

"So, what you are seeing is that it is ironic and somewhat sad that multiple states are failing to live up to their duties to block supply to a terrorist organization while accusing Israel of breaking all kinds of laws," Bell said.

Regarding Israel's specific obligations to provide aid to Gaza, Bell pointed out that no legal requirement exists for any state to furnish supplies to another entity when it cannot exercise sovereignty.

Bell discussed the unique situation in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that there has been an ongoing debate for nearly two decades about whether Israel should be regarded as a belligerent occupier there. He explained that, in general, for a state to be considered a belligerent occupier of a territory, it must have acquired effective control through non-consensual means, typically during an armed conflict with another state. However, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and has had no control there since then.

Israel turning a blind eye, for humanitarian reasons

He stressed again that although during wartime, all parties to the conflict are required to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief, which includes food and medicine, to civilians, this is not the case when that aid will be used for military purposes.

So, why is Israel turning a blind eye or even encouraging aid trucks to enter Gaza?

Because, said Bell, "Israel has no interest in creating a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Israel's interest is in destroying the Hamas terrorist organization and then safely recovering and covering its hostages.

"This is not a secret."

The IDF and Shin Bet, in coordination with the Border Police, conducted extensive operations throughout the West Bank on Wednesday night, leading to the arrest of over 60 individuals suspected of affiliations with Hamas, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

This move is part of an ongoing effort to destabilize terror activities and confiscate combat equipment within the region. Among those apprehended, 46 active members of Hamas are in custody.

This is a developing story.