Israel at war: What happened on day 25?

IDF forces under the command of the Givati ​​Brigade took control over a Hamas military stronghold in western Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, a military spokesperson said.

Approximately 50 terrorists were killed by Israeli forces. Furthermore, Israeli fighter jets, under Shin Bet intelligence, eliminated Ebrahim Biari, the commander of Hamas's Jabalia battalion, and was one of the leaders of the October 7 massacre. 

On Monday, "Hamas: Theatre of War" could have claimed the top honor for Best Picture with its gripping one-minute video featuring three female hostages.

The terrorist organization released the video on its social networks two days after the families of the country's more than 230 hostages told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "all of us here saw the tanks going into Gaza, and we are very worried." Hanas also shared it in the aftermath of Netanyahu's refusal to take responsibility for the October 7 massacre, stirring up a media frenzy.

Hamas's psychological warfare

This is precisely why the video should not have come as a surprise. It serves as yet another illustration of how Hamas strategically employs psychological warfare—a tactic that experts said the world, and especially Israel, must be cautious not to be drawn into.

"We expected that once the IDF would reach a specific point [in its war against Hamas] that we would start seeing videos of the hostages popping up with messages to stop the attacks," explained Itai Yonat, owner and CEO of Intercept 9500, which provides high-end intelligence services to corporations and state organizations worldwide.

Israeli ground forces entered Gaza over the weekend, marking what the IDF considered the next stage in its campaign against Hamas, intending to dismantle its military and political infrastructure completely.

Hamas released a video of three female hostages on October 30, 2023 (credit: screenshot)

"We were expecting a video like this to emerge within days of the ground assault," Yonat noted. "While the aerial offensive was significant, it is not as effective in pressuring Hamas as the ground offensive."

Furthermore, while Israeli media refrained from broadcasting the video, acknowledging it as a form of psychological warfare, he emphasized that for Israelis who encountered it on international news outlets or social media platforms, it should have been unmistakable that the speaker did not use the language of an Israeli citizen, irrespective of her political stance on Netanyahu.

Specifically, the hostage called on Israel to cease its ground offensive, accusing Netanyahu of wanting to use the IDF to kill them.

"We bear [the cost of] your political, security, military, and state failure on October 7," the hostage said. "Because there was no army there. No one showed up. No one protected us. And we, innocent civilians, civilians who pay taxes to the State of Israel, are in captivity under horrible conditions.

"You are killing us," she continued. "You want to kill us all? Do you want to use the IDF to kill us? Have you not slaughtered enough [people]?"

She also said to "let their people go. Let their prisoners go"—referring to Hamas.

This message echoed the sentiments expressed by Hamas.

Two weeks ago, a senior Hamas official told NBC News that they would release all civilian hostages in exchange for a cessation of IDF strikes on the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, in various statements and interviews, Hamas has articulated its intention to secure the release of all its prisoners in return for the hostages.

Weighing 'the fate of the kidnapped'

In 2011, Israel released 1,027 prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier, Gilad Schalit, which included Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 massacre. Hamas likely anticipates a similar outcome this time.

"Maybe someone held a gun to her head or someone else's head. Maybe she had a script," Yotam said. "We do not know."

The statements also echoed the script of the hostages, who made an unequivocal demand of the government on Saturday night to ensure the IDF's operations "weigh the fate of the kidnapped."

"We demand that no move be taken that endangers the fate of our family members and that every action takes their well-being into account," said Leshem Gonen, whose daughter Rumi was kidnapped from the music festival near Kibbutz Re'im on October 7.

And the messages played right into the debate in Israel now about the role of Netanyahu in this tragedy.

The video was reminiscent of the frail Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, who addressed the media last at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Gaunt and exhausted, the recently released hostage told the press she had received medical care and food while in captivity.

While Lifshitz spoke from Tel Aviv, her husband remained in captivity, and one can only imagine the anxiety she felt, knowing that Hamas held her husband. In such a distressing situation, every word Lifshitz uttered had to be considered in that context.

As counterterrorism expert Lt.-Col. (res.) Dr. Anat Berko said, "Even if they did not threaten her with words, she knows they have her husband."

And Lifshitz is well aware that Hamas is closely monitoring her actions.

According to Yotam, Monday's video is unlikely to be the last of its kind.

What will the content of the following video be?

That will likely depend on the internal and external pressures Hamas faces.

Private Ori Megidish, an IDF soldier, was rescued during the IDF's operation in Gaza on Sunday night, the IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement on Monday.

She was kidnapped by the Hamas terrorists on October 7 and has now been reunited with her family.

A subsequent medical examination administered to Megidish has determined that she is healthy.

The statement noted that the IDF and Shin bet will continue to make every effort to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages.

The #Israeli hostage rescued by the IDF from #Hamas in #Gaza is reunited with her grandmother. May all the remaining Israeli hostages come home soon! pic.twitter.com/0WZvhKkE9z

— Michael Freund (@msfreund) October 30, 2023

Responses from Herzog and Netanyahu

President Isaac Herzog was quick to express his happiness for Megidish's rescue in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night.

Israelis celebrate the release of IDF soldier Pvt. Ori Megidish from Hamas captivity, outside her home in Kiryat Gat, October 30, 2023. (credit: Liron Moldovan/Flash90)

"I was moved to see the soldier Ori Megidish return home to her loving family after a daring operation by the IDF and Shin Bet," Herzog wrote. "Our security forces operate around the clock in Gaza, in the north, in Judea and Samaria, and everywhere, on land, in the air, and at sea."

התרגשתי לראות את החיילת אורי מגידיש שבה הביתה אל משפחתה האוהבת, לאחר מבצע נועז של צה"ל ושב"כ. כוחות הביטחון שלנו פועלים מסביב לשעון בעזה, בצפון, ביו"ש ובכל מקום, ביבשה באוויר ובים; במסירות אינסופית, תוך סיכון חיים, בתחושת שליחות ואהבת העם והמדינה. אנחנו מחזקים אותם, מגבים אותם…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) October 30, 2023

"Last night, our forces freed Private Ori Megidish from Hamas captivity. O)ri was abducted on the dark morning of October 7th," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Welcome back home, Ori. I commend the Shin Bet and the IDF for this significant and emotional achievement, an achievement that reflects our commitment to bringing all the captives home. All of Israel pays tribute to the Shin Bet and the IDF. To the Hamas terrorists and to ISIS, I say - you are monsters. We will continue to pursue you, we will continue to hunt you down. We will strike you until you yield from our grip."

אמש שיחררו כוחותינו משבי חמאס את החיילת טוראי אורי מגידיש. אורי נחטפה בבוקר השחור של ה-7 באוקטובר.

ברוך שובך הביתה, אורי.

אני מברך את השב"כ ואת צה"ל על ההישג החשוב והמרגש הזה, הישג המבטא את המחויבות שלנו להביא לשחרור כל החטופים.

עם ישראל כולו מצדיע לשב"כ ומצדיע לצה"ל.… pic.twitter.com/OlwyPkLKyS

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 30, 2023

In response to the liberation of the IDF soldier, Hamas stated on its Telegram channel that the news was an intentional distraction from the hostage video released by the terror organization earlier on Monday.  

"Regarding the allegations by the Zionist terrorist occupation about the release of a female soldier, we affirm that such an announcement aims to divert attention from the video of the captured women that Al-Qassam Brigades broadcast today, which has caused significant shock within the Zionist society," the statement read.

Celebrations erupted around Megidish's house in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat. A crowd gathered around the residence and neighbors and revelers sang songs and set off fireworks.

"It's like another birth," Israeli media quoted a neighbor of the family, Itamar Trobek, as saying. "We are very happy. We saw the family, they weren't the same as yesterday. We prayed a lot."

This is a developing story