Israel at war: What happened on day 53?

Ten Israelis and two Thai captives were freed amid media reports that Qatar sought to mediate a ceasefire deal to end the Gaza war in which the remaining 150 hostages would be returned, in exchange for the release of a large number of Palestinian security prisoners.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) rejected such reports outright, explaining that it’s not on the table and “there has been no discussion about it at all.”

Such a deal, he said, “is a plan to destroy the State of Israel. We will continue [the war] until with God’s help, we achieve absolute victory over the Hamas Nazis.”

Talk about a possible deal for all the hostages, including soldiers, came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to visit the region in the coming days and the security cabinet held a late-night meeting in Tel Aviv.

Discussions are already underway in Qatar to extend the hostage deal beyond its Thursday expiration date based on the formula by which Hamas frees 10 Israeli hostages in Gaza for every 24 hours of quiet.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem on October 19, 2023. (credit: NOAM REVKIN/FLASH90)

Officials remained committed to the deal even though Palestinians in Gaza placed explosive devices near IDF troops in northern Gaza, in violation of the hostage deal, according to the army spokesperson’s unit.

The initial mechanism by which hostages are freed in exchange for a lull in the fighting began on Friday at 10 a.m. and was first due to end on Tuesday, but at the last minute, the war was put on hold for another 48 hours.

As part of the deal, Israel has halted aerial surveillance above the enclave for some six hours daily to allow Hamas to locate all the hostages, which are held in separate locations by several different groups. The Pentagon said it has also paused its surveillance of Gaza during that same time.

The deal and its extension have focused on the 98 women and children that were among some 240 hostages that Hamas seized on October 7 when it infiltrated southern Israel.

To date, 60 female and child hostages have been released. Under a separate agreement, one Filipino and 25 Thai citizens have been freed, as was one Israeli who also holds Russian citizenship. Last month four women were also freed, two of whom were Americans and another two Israelis.

There are eight children still in captivity, including Ariel Bibas, who is four, and his 10-month-old brother Kfir.
On Tuesday night, the only child to be freed was Mia Lemberg, 17, who returned clutching a small white dog. Another 10 Israelis are due to be freed on Wednesday night.

Mossad chief David Barnea was in Qatar on Tuesday as was CIA chief William Burns and Egyptian intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Abbas Kamel to discuss an extension of the deal, possibly through Sunday.

A source told Reuters that the spy chiefs were there to “build on the progress of the extended humanitarian pause agreement and to initiate further discussions about the next phase of a potential deal.”

But it’s also presumed that they are talking about a larger and wider scope resolution to the hostage crisis and the war.

Discussions with Qatar

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Barnea in Qatar to discuss Tuesday’s hostage release, his office said, as it published a photograph of the call.

The question of what happens next week is particularly acute, given that a new mechanism would need to be found to free the male hostages, particularly the soldiers.

Under the existing deal, Israel agreed that for every captive in Gaza that was released, it would free three jailed Palestinian women and minors held on security-related offenses. To date, 180 such Palestinian prisoners have been freed, including 30 women and minors on Tuesday.

It’s expected that a larger number of prisoners and those with much more serious security offenses, including the killing of Israelis would need to be freed in exchange for the male hostages.

The Biden administration is under pressure from positions of the Democratic Party and the American public to support a permanent ceasefire. Many in the international community and Arab countries have also called for a halt to the war, particularly in light of Hamas assertions that over 14,800 Palestinians have been killed in conflict-related violence in Gaza.

The damage to the enclave from IDF aerial bombing and Israel’s closure of its two crossings into the Strip has also created a humanitarian crisis.

Israel has insisted that plans to resume the war once the hostages are released, so that it can complete its military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza. It has been considered that Hamas poses an existential threat to Israel since the terror group’s October 7 attack, in which it killed over 1,200 people, burning, dismembering and raping its victims.

Netanyahu said on Tuesday, that Israel was committed to the following missions: “Freeing all of the hostages, eliminating this terrorist organization above and below ground and – of course – that Gaza must not return to being what it was, that it will no longer constitute a threat to the State of Israel.”

Israel’s allies have pressed it to do more to allow for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, even though under the terms of the deal some 200 humanitarian trucks a day have entered and are expected to continue to enter the enclave. They have also warned Israel that it must do more to protect civilians should hostilities resume.

The US is asking Israel to take greater care to protect civilians and limit damage to infrastructure in any offensive in southern Gaza, senior US officials said, in what amounts to a more forthright approach to protecting Palestinians.
The message has been delivered from Biden on down, the officials told reporters on a conference call.

“We have reinforced this in very clear language with the government of Israel – very important that the conduct of the Israeli campaign when it moves to the south must be done in a way that is to a maximum extent not designed to produce significant further displacement of persons,” one official said.

At issue in particular has been the high number of Gazans, some 1.6 million in an enclave of 2.7 million, that have fled their homes due to IDF aerial bombings.

“You cannot have the sort of scale of displacement that took place in the north, replicated in the south. It will be beyond disruptive, it will be beyond the capacity of any humanitarian support network,” the official said, adding “It can’t happen.”

A US official said the first of three relief aid flights conducted by the US military would land in northern Sinai on Tuesday, with two more planned in the coming days.

The flights would bring medical items, food aid and winter items that would be delivered by the United Nations.
The officials said aid deliveries to Gaza were running at about 240 truckloads a day but this was nowhere near enough.

They said the effort would need to turn to commercial contracts to get deliveries up to 400 trucks a day and the US side had been discussing this with Israel.
Reuters contributed to this report.

Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday as efforts continued to extend the ongoing ceasefire, according to initial reports.

Shortly after the reported incident the spokesperson for Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeidah claimed that Israeli forces had committed a "clear violation" of the ceasefire in the northern Gaza Strip and that Hamas had "dealt with this violation."

"We are committed to the truce as long as the enemy has committed to it, and we call on the mediators to pressure the occupation to adhere to all the terms of the truce on the ground and in the air," said Abu Obeidah.

Palestinian media claimed that shortly after the reported incident, Israeli fighter jets were scrambled over the Gaza Strip.

An operational plan to eliminate the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, has been presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at least six times in recent years. This information has been gathered through conversations with numerous senior figures in the security establishment, both past and present.

This wasn't merely a theoretical proposal but a well-thought-out and actionable plan that could be put into motion at any given moment. Notably, Sinwar, as mentioned, doesn't spend most of his time in hiding; he maintains a visible presence and doesn't move between secret apartments or bunkers, unlike Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who has followed such practices since 2006.

From Netanyahu's perspective, this information is of the utmost secrecy.

Yahya Sinwar Gaza Strip chief of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, waves to Palestinians during a rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day), in Gaza, April 14, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

The plan to eliminate Sinwar was put forward to Netanyahu by the three most recent heads of the Shin Bet, each during their respective tenures: Yoram Cohen, Nadav Argaman, and the current head, Ronen Bar. This plan was highly detailed and included various contingency scenarios, making it capable of targeting any senior Hamas figure in Gaza, not just Sinwar. It resembled operations like Operation Orchard (an Israeli airstrike on a suspected nuclear reactor in Syria) or Operation Bramble (an Israeli plan to assassinate Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, in 1992) during the First Lebanon War.

Former Shin Bet head Cohen had previously revealed in the "Meet the Press" program that the Shin Bet had recommended conducting an "airlift" operation targeting all of Hamas's leaders in Gaza. He even mentioned that he and his successors continued to propose this to senior government officials. The Shin Bet viewed Hamas as a terrorist organization that needed to be neutralized due to the significant threat posed by its agenda. However, as mentioned earlier, Netanyahu rejected all these operational opportunities.

In addition, in the past year, Hamas has increased the strength of its elite commando unit, the Nukhba, by 100%. This involved doubling the size of the commando force intended for infiltrations into Israel, which was accomplished within one year. Israel was aware of this development, but it did not trigger any immediate action.

Israel's intelligence failures apparent

As time goes on, the scope of the intelligence and operational failure that preceded the Israeli crisis on October 7th and the horrific massacre that followed in the border region becomes increasingly apparent. Sinwar's speech, in which he detailed his plan to overrun Israel like a "flood," was the culmination of Hamas' major exercise in May, during which the plan that was executed in October was openly practiced in front of Israel's eyes. Troubling reports from the veteran surveillance and intelligence unit, Unit 8200, which closely monitored these events and sent a series of memos with alarming content to their superiors in September, went largely unheeded. In fact, some of those in charge ridiculed these reports, labeled them as fantasies, and dismissed their warnings.

Despite the aforementioned details, the attacks and online smear campaigns against the head of the Mossad and his senior officials, primarily led by supporters of Netanyahu, have significantly undermined their positions. The Mossad's failure represents a severe strategic setback, but none of its top officials had foreseen such an outcome.

The current situation is hauntingly reminiscent of the 1973 failure, beginning with the clever deception operations by Egypt and Syria in '73 and Sinwar's actions this year. It all stems from overconfidence and arrogance in the planning process. Those accountable for this failure are fully aware of their responsibilities and have already faced consequences. Further attacks on them will only weaken the ongoing intelligence efforts.

Furthermore, it's essential to emphasize that this won't absolve Netanyahu of his responsibilities. His role extends into entirely different domains. Firstly, as the Prime Minister, he bears comprehensive responsibility for all matters related to security. He has reiterated this responsibility many times himself. Secondly, he is accountable for the policy that viewed Hamas as an asset rather than a liability. He brought in the Qataris, who injected hundreds of millions of dollars into Hamas after Mahmoud Abbas cut off the funding. He promised to eliminate the threat, but instead, he allowed it to grow and flourish.

In response to this column, former Defense Minister and leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, MK Avigdor Lieberman said: "I read that Netanyahu denied Ben Caspit's report about avoiding at least six attempts to eliminate Sinwar. Netanyahu can continue to deny it as much as he wants. He's the one who granted immunity to Yahya and the leaders of Hamas, preventing any attempts to neutralize them. I'm stating this not as mere speculation but as someone with personal knowledge of the matter."

The IDF has fired over 100,000 shells to date during the current war.

Breaking down the shelling, over 90,000 shells have been fired on Gaza, and around 10,000 against Hezbollah and Hamas-associated groups in Lebanon and Syria.

Part of this massive firepower capability has come about from advances in the IDF's Firepower Command, formerly known as the Artillery Command.

The name switched when the command reached a point where a significant amount of its firepower came from drones, such as Unit 5252 Zik drones, and not just artillery units.

Drones Rochev Shamayim and Doher Shamayim from the IDF Firepower Command have also assisted extensively with collecting tactical intelligence.

The command is one of the military’s land forces’ heavy hitters in support of infantry in any land operation, along with the Tank Command. Traditionally, artillery fire long-range shells and other explosives to strike enemy forces at a range beyond what a tank can fire, but are also slower in maneuvering than tanks.

In addition, the command fired more than 200 precision rockets against especially important enemy targets.

Further, senior IDF officials have said during the course of the war, they have not granted immunity when the target hid near, or with, civilians or at civilian locations, all while continuing to minimize harm to civilians.

New artillery battery 'one of best in world'

Earlier in 2023, The Jerusalem Post reported in an interview with Col. Amit Guy that a major shift for the command has been switching its focus from the Doher artillery battery to operating the Roem artillery battery. After 60 years of using an older foreign-developed model, he said the newer Israeli-made artillery-firepower unit “is one of the best in the world. It is much more autonomous, you do not need a person directing things as much and it can fire at a much more rapid rate.”

The Roem has a computerized and automatic loading process allowing it to fire around eight times per minute versus the twice per minute capability of the Doher. The Roem also travels using wheels to move as opposed to tracks, making it much more maneuverable, and other upgrades.

Mossad chief David Barnea landed in Qatar on Tuesday, where he is expected to meet with head of the CIA William Burns, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The meetings are reportedly related to ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire extension and the release of more Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity. 

Hamas is scheduled to release 10 hostages on Tuesday and a further 10 on Wednesday before the ceasefire deadline ends. 

The family of Ravid Katz, a resident of Nir Oz who was declared missing since the Hamas attacks on October 7, were notified of confirmation of his death and shared the news on social media.

"Yesterday we received bitter news about Ravid Katz, brother of my wife Doron, who is no longer alive from the events of 10/7," the message read.

"He was an educator, an amazing father to Shahar and Shira, to Alma who was only 6 months old, and the partner of Revital."

It is unclear whether Katz was taken hostage back to Gaza, as was previously thought, or if his remains were found inside Israel and have only just been identified.

This is a developing story. 

Elon Musk, on a visit to Israel after being assailed for an anti-Jewish post on his social media site X, received a symbolic dog tag from the father of an Israeli taken captive by Hamas in Gaza and promised to wear it until all the hostages were free.

Elon Musk walks around the site of one of the many massacres committed by Hamas on October 7th. (credit: MAARIV)

"Our hearts are hostage in Gaza," read the metal tag he received from Malki Shem-Tov, the father of hostage Omer Shem-Tov, in a video of Musk's visit issued on Monday by the office of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Musk placed it around his neck. Later on Monday, he wrote on X: "I will wear it every day until your loved ones are released."

The father of an Israeli hostage presented Elon Musk with a dog tag inscribed “our hearts are hostage in Gaza."

Elon promised to wear it until the hostages are released.

𝗔 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 pic.twitter.com/9HhyfwHbeK

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) November 27, 2023

Musk responds to antisemitism accusations

On Nov. 15, Musk posted on X his agreement with a post that falsely claimed Jewish people were stoking hatred against white people, saying the user who referenced the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory was speaking "the actual truth."

Following the post, major US companies including Walt Disney DIS.N, Warner Bros Discovery WBD.O, and NBCUniversal parent Comcast CMCSA.O suspended their advertisements on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The White House criticized Musk for what it called an "abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate" that "runs against our core values as Americans."

Musk has said he is against antisemitism and anything that "promotes hate and conflict" and stated that X would not promote hate speech.

For the second time in a week, an official Qatari plane landed at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning. 

Israel and Qatar have held close meetings with the Gulf state playing a crucial role in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the deal to release hostages held by the Gaza terror group.

Israeli representatives, including high-level Mossad officials, also traveled to the Qatari capital Doha in recent weeks.

Women who were abducted from Israeli territory and held hostage by Hamas in Gaza were kept in cages, according to a report by Israeli media, citing a statement from a member of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

This claim is not the first of its kind; in the days immediately following the October 7th attacks, videos from Hamas's Telegram channel showed child hostages being kept in cages for the majority of their time in captivity.

נשים שהוחזקו בשבי חמאס שהו רוב הזמן בכלובים.
כן, קראתם נכון, בכלובים.
אל תתרגשו ממכתבים שחמאס הכריח אותן לכתוב.

— ישי כהן (@ishaycoen) November 27, 2023

Hamas distributed a letter on Monday allegedly written by Danielle Aloni, was was kidnapped alongside her 5-year-old daughter Emilia and held in captivity. In the letter, written in Hebrew and translated into Arabic, she reportedly thanked Hamas for the "extraordinary humanity" provided to her daughter, who "felt like a queen."

The letter also read, "I will forever be a prisoner of love because [Emilia] did not leave here with psychological trauma forever." The Aloni family has not confirmed this letter nor the statements made in it, though widely distributed on social media by the Hamas terror organization.

This letter is one of many that hostages were forced to write, according to Israeli media reports.

Hamas shares a picture of the Israeli hostage’s letter thanking them for their good treatment.
So, Hamas' plan was to kill the largest number of children, women, and elderly, then kidnap as many innocents as possible, and finally treat them well to present a positive image of… pic.twitter.com/zb7ou6tygg

— Ehab Hassan (@EhabH91) November 27, 2023

Survivors reported being provided limited food while being held hostage, without clear reports of physical abuse or torture, though they were given minimal food. Of the small rations they received - rice and pita at best - the hostages were often left to cook the food for themselves and the children left held with them. They also said how their final two weeks had seen supplies running low.

Supplies running low

Merav Mor Munder, the cousin of Keren Munder who was released on Friday, told N12 "There were days when there were no supplies, so they only ate pita bread. They were not tortured, but there were days when they barely had any food, in the last few days they only ate very little rice.

Aviva Adrienne Siegel, 62, who was released after being taken hostage during the October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, reacts while being transported, in Ofakim, Israel, November 26, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

She says how one of the hostages, Hannah Katzir, who was also released, learned of her son’s murder on one of the few occasions they would be permitted to listen to Israeli radio. It was upon her own release that she learned of how her husband had also been kidnapped and remained in Gaza.

Some of the hostages spoke of their worry about last-minute attempts by Hamas or Gazans, who had thrown stones at the vehicle taking them to Egypt, to attack them before they got home.  "Until the last moment we weren't sure," a hostage said: "We thought they would lynch us on the way to Israel."

Sinwar visits hostages in tunnels

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the man behind the planning of the October 7 massacre, spoke to Israeli hostages while they were held in Gaza, one Israeli who was released from captivity this week told her family, Israeli media reported on Monday evening.

Sinwar allegedly arrived in a tunnel where she and other hostages were being held, checked how they are, and told them in fluent Hebrew that they would not be harmed. 

Israel's Channel 12 claims that this report was verified by her investigators in Israel's security systems.

Current concerns among Israel's defense and military analysts relate to Sinwar's plans for the rest of this war - namely, the exploitation of the humanitarian crisis among Palestinian civilians in order to advance Hamas's terror goals.

Neglect at the hands of the Red Cross

After Elma Avraham, 84, was returned to Israeli custody, she was immediately airlifted for emergency medical care. Her family claimed that she was “medically neglected” by international medical organizations that failed to provide her with the immediate medical treatment she required at the time.

“My mother did not deserve to be treated like this” stated Elma’s daughter, Tal Amano.

According to Amano, her mother was the victim of a “double betrayal that began on October 7 when she was kidnapped by Hamas, and continued with the failure of international organizations that were supposed to help her in the condition that she was in at the time of her release.”

Prior to her kidnapping on October 7, Elma was in relatively good health. However, she did have some underlying health issues that required medication.

“No one from the international organizations bothered to create a list with the medications she required,” her daughter continued.

“Clalit [an Israeli medical health fund] was the one who fought for us. It delivered the medication that Elma required to my brother in person. Yet, when my brother attempted to pass on the medication to a Red Cross representative at a meeting they held together, he was told no, they cannot do that.”

Elma’s family returned to the Red Cross building a few days after and were once again rejected.

“My mother should not have come back like this. What is the Red Cross there for? What is the UN Women organization for?” Tal demanded to know.

Dr. Nadav Davidovitz, who is currently treating Elma, said “We were in meetings with the Red Cross and asked them to make every effort to bring the medications to her, because some hostages are just dying. From a medical and nursing standpoint, what we witnessed is unlawful neglect.”

Keshet Neev and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.