Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 48?

United States President Joe Biden was cautious about responding to news that the deal to release at least 50 Gaza hostages would go into effect Friday at 4 p.m., one day later than planned.

“I’m not prepared to give an update until it’s done,” he told reporters who asked him about it on Thursday, as he visited Nantucket for the Thanksgiving holiday.

It is expected that three US citizens will be among those released, including a three-year-old whose parents were killed in the October Hamas 7 infiltration into southern Israel. She is among more than 239 captives seized on that day.

When asked if she would be among those freed, Biden said, “I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

Soldiers from the IDF's Nahal Brigade, currently operating on the outskirts of Jabalya refugee camp, uncovered multiple launchers in mosques and orchards surrounding the city, according to an IDF press release on Thursday.

Hamas ground-based rocket launchers, found in an orchard near Jabalya refugee camp, November 23, 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Launchers were found buried in the ground allowing for quick unaimed launches toward Israel.

Hamas ground-based rocket launchers, found in an orchard near Jabalya refugee camp, November 23, 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

During the raid, the fighters located six terrorist tunnel shafts, one of them inside a mosque and one in an orchard near the mosque.

Tunnel shaft found in an orchard near Jabalya refugee camp, November 23, 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

All of the weapons and rockets were located near civilian buildings, schools, and residences in the area.

Hamas rocket launchers, found in an orchard near Jabalya refugee camp, November 23, 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

One of the rocket launchers found at the back of an orchard, it is fixed into the ground and surrounded by the fallen fruit from the orchard.

Hamas rocket launchers, found in an orchard near Jabalya refugee camp, November 23, 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

The same launcher as above from behind, where the rocket launcher is clearly visible near a construction site.

Hamas rocket launchers from behind, found in an orchard near Jabalya refugee camp, November 23, 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

Rocket launcher as seen from the back containing rockets loaded for launch.

Turkey plans to evacuate some wounded or sick Gazan children and young people on Friday as part of its third round of evacuation, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday.

Turkey has so far brought 150 people, mostly cancer patients and their companions, from Gaza to continue their treatment. It has also evacuated more than 100 Turks, Turkish Cypriots, and their relatives this week.

Speaking at Ankara's Esenboga airport, Koca said three sick Gazan children had been brought to Turkey on Thursday. He added that the children - a 2-year-old boy, as well as two girls aged 9 and 10 - would receive treatment in Turkey.

The third round of evacuations, consisting of a group of 50 people, has been delayed due to issues regarding permissions for their releases, the minister said, but added that those problems were now largely resolved and officials were working to complete the preparations.

"We expect the third evacuation to be tomorrow (Friday) and it will be an evacuation that will largely consist of children and young people," Koca told reporters.

The spokesman of Hamas' armed wing called on Thursday for the escalation of the confrontation with Israel on all resistance fronts.

"We call for escalation of the confrontation with the occupation throughout the West Bank and all resistance fronts" the spokesman for the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, said in a video speech aired by Al Jazeera TV.

The IDF worked hard on Thursday to toughen its positions across northern Gaza to prevent any surprise attacks by Hamas.

In 2014, Hamas violated a number of temporary ceasefires, in some cases successfully surprising and killing IDF soldiers.

IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi had held a briefing with all major generals, brigadier generals, and colonels involved in Gaza operations on Wednesday to ensure that they would be ready for anything Hamas might try.

The IDF also said that Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon had set up a special apparatus near the Gaza border for taking in hostages presuming Hamas follows through with the terms of the war pause. 

That apparatus is highly organized both in terms of special medical and psychological staff as well as helicopters and other heavy weaponry to ensure security.

The IDF's 401st Brigade fought in the 'Grad Valley,' on the outskirts of Jabalya, and uncovered underground infrastructure and weapons under children's sleeping beds, according to an IDF press release on Thursday.

The "Grad Valley" is an area from which a wide range of anti-aircraft fire was fired at Israeli territory during the fighting, four significant tunnel shafts were located at great depth.

These shafts are connected to the electricity grid and were used by Hamas and were linked to buildings used by senior Hamas officials.

In another building linked to another senior member of Hamas, many weapons were found in the bedrooms and under the beds of his children.

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy was left visibly stunned after a Sky News reporter questioned whether the hostage deal, which would trade 150 security prisoners in exchange for just 50 hostages held by Hamas, meant that Israel valued Palestinian lives less than Israeli ones.  

The interviewer explained that she had spoken to a hostage negotiator in preparation for the interview and that he had said that the unfair exchange spoke of Israel’s diminished valuation of Palestinian lives.

Asked to comment on the above, Levy answered, with arched eyebrows in a look of shock, that the comment was “an astonishing accusation

“If we could release one prisoner for everyone hostage, we would obviously do that. We are operating in horrific circumstances.

As part of the release of hostages from Gaza, Hamas has demanded the release of nearly 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, some of these have only recently been convicted of their crimes, and the victims and families of the victims are worried that the release will only lead to more terror.

Moria Cohen was the victim of a stabbing attack in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem, she and her family fear that her attacker, a 14-year-old girl from the same neighborhood, if released will simply return to living in close proximity to them.

They fear she would return to living in her parent's house "across the street" from their own home.

The family promised the children that they would never have to see the perpetrator again, the children had been present at the stabbing and seen their mother stabbed in front of them.

The family is understandably apprehensive about her release, fearing that Cohen will open the door and see "this devil in front of her."

Hamas has suffered casualties in Gaza since the surprise attack on Israel on October. The overall number of Hamas casualties is impossible to know. Israel has put out various estimates on the number of Hamas members eliminated in certain areas or units. In general the IDF puts out details on number of targets struck. For instance on Thursday the IDF said that “during IDF activities in the Gaza Strip over the last day, aerial strikes were carried out on over 300 Hamas terror targets, including military command centers, underground terror tunnels, weapon storage facilities, weapon manufacturing sites, and anti-tank missile launch posts.” 

Can Hamas recover from the losses it has suffered since October 7? Hamas units in northern Gaza have been surrounded. They have been pushed out of numerous neighborhoods such as Sheikh Ijlin, Shait, Beit Hanoun, Rimal, parts of Zaytun and Jabalya; as well as Beit Lahiya. Hamas has lost most of its territory in northern Gaza. The units that tried to stand and fight were eliminated.

The question about Hamas survival in the face of these losses revolves around many factors. Other terror groups, such as ISIS, have shown they can fight to the end, basically to the very last man. ISIS in Mosul fought to the last man, basically. In other cases ISIS members tried to surrender. For instance near Tal Afar some of them surrendered. They also tried to surrender near Baghouz on the Euphrates river in 2019. Therefore there are mixed examples of what happens when terror groups are surrounded.