Make no doubt about it: we are struggling with a vast amount of confusion. The rumors are incredible: contradictory, worrisome – and infuriating. There is a great deal of behind-the-scenes maneuvering and chaos.
I can do no more here than provide an overview – with trends that are clear.
What is blatantly obvious is that Biden does not want Israel to do a major operation in Rafah, to take out the last battalions of Hamas. The conditions under which we might do it are irrelevant – he does not want us to do it. What we are seeing, figuratively, is Bibi and Biden locking horns on this. Thus, the title of this post – by which I convey Israeli determination.
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On Sunday, forces of the 98th Division, having completed its operation in Khan Yunis – which involved destroying Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade – pulled out back into Israel. All that remained was a combat team led by the Nahal Brigade, under the 162nd Division, left to secure the Netzarim Corridor, which divides north and south Gaza.
The response was one of confusion. What?? Why did the 98th Division not head towards Rafah or prepare to do so? Is Israel not going to see through the operation to eliminate Hamas? amHH
My best information is that the pullout was promoted both by pressure from the US administration and yet another round of negotiations on a hostage deal. In any event, it provides a respite and time for refreshing for the 98th Division before going back into Gaza.
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In short order, Bibi declared, “This victory [to vanquish Hamas] requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist battalions there.
“This will happen. A date is set.”
US spokespersons then declared they hadn’t seen a date, and that they were still opposed to the Rafah operation.
Actually, as I see it, whether a precise date had already been set – something it would have been difficult to do — is not important. This was Netanyahu’s public declaration of determination.
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As to negotiations with Hamas, reports from several sources, citing Hamas leaders, indicated that they had rejected the latest proposal. But wouldn’t you know, the Biden administration just today declared a deal was on the table and waiting for a response – their first concern being, not release of hostages, but that much coveted ceasefire.
There has been the feeling on the part of many, myself included, that no deal with Hamas is possible because they don’t want “a deal.” They want it all: a permanent ceasefire and the IDF fully withdrawn from Gaza. They certainly see this as a possibility with the position of Biden as it is.
But now, there is another speculation – painful in the extreme, but not really surprising: There is the thought that Hamas cannot make a hostage deal because most of the hostages are dead. Official reports have indicated somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the remaining 130+ hostages are likely dead, but it may be a good many more. Remember, some while ago, Netanyahu had demanded from Hamas a list of surviving hostages who would be traded: that list has never materialized.
And so, round and round we go, with all the talk about “deals,” all of which reach a dead end, after raising the hopes of the families of the hostages. And as they reach a dead end, Biden declares that Netanyahu’s approach to the war is all wrong. Once again, yesterday, he called for a ceasefire – to bring in what he says are much needed humanitarian supplies.
“What I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country… I think there’s no excuse to not provide for the medical and the food needs of those people. It should be done now.””
https://worldisraelnews.com/no-excuses-biden-demands-ceasefire-without-hostage-release/
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And here I pause for a moment to ask: Since when is providing supplies to the civilians of the enemy the first consideration when a nation is at war? And in this instance, an existential war.
Not only does Biden severely distort the priorities, he exaggerates the need. The civilians of Gaza are not starving. On Monday, Israeli authorities reported the highest number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza in a single day since the start of the war over six months ago.
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), 419 aid trucks were inspected and transferred to the Strip, up from the previous high of 322 on Sunday.
Additionally, 258 packages carrying hundreds and thousands of meals were airdropped over Gaza, said COGAT.
https://www.jns.org/over-400-aid-trucks-enter-gaza-in-highest-daily-total-since-start-of-war/
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And a word about those poor civilians in Gaza:
“An Israeli hostage who was abducted during the Hamas-led terror onslaught on October 7 said Monday that she was captured by armed Palestinian civilians who later sold her to the Gaza-ruling terror group.
“Nili Margalit’s revelation in an interview with the Le Point French magazine appeared to further highlight the extent to which participation in the shock attack in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and 253 were taken hostage extended beyond fighters in the Hamas terror group.” (Emphasis added)
https://www.jns.org/freed-israeli-hostage-gazan-civilians-sold-me-to-hamas/
There are other similar stories.
Does Biden or the world more broadly lament and protest the suffering of the hostages – their near-starvation conditions?
As well, a few weeks ago, I sat at a Shabbat dinner table with a soldier who had served in Gaza. “What innocent civilians?” he suddenly asked rhetorically. “In every house we entered there were weapons hidden.”
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Yesterday (Tuesday), Netanyahu was visiting with new IDF recruits in Tel Hashomer base. He told them:
“…We will complete the elimination of the Hamas brigades, including in Rafah. There is no force in the world that will stop us. There are many forces that are trying to do this, but it will not work, because [we will see to it that] this enemy, after what it has done, will not be able do it any more…”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388196
This is his answer to Biden, and for this he merits our unwavering support.
But I want to clarify one point. Realistic estimates suggest that it will take years to fully eradicate Hamas from Gaza, and during that time it will be necessary to do limited operations. The goal now is the eradication of Hamas as a fighting force.
For more on this see Yaakov Lappin, on the planned IDF stages of the war.
https://www.jns.org/idf-applies-stage-3-of-its-war-plan-to-khan-yunis/
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Yet another indication that Israel is serious about going into Rafah is the progress being made with regard to purchasing 40,000 tents for housing some portion of the civilians who will be moved out of Rafah. This was spoken about weeks ago, but now tenders have gone out. The estimate is that this will house some 500,000 of the million plus civilians in the Rafah area. It is hoped that some civilians will move out of their own accord, back into homes in the Khan Yunis area.
https://allisrael.com/israel-to-purchase-40-000-tents-for-gazan-refugees-ahead-of-expected-rafah-op
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As if all of this is not enough, there is yet another situation of enormous import, which weighs heavily upon us.
A week ago Monday, a precision airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus killed seven officers of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, which oversees Iran’s covert intelligence and military operations in Syria and Lebanon. Among those killed was Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the highest level officer killed since the US took out Qassim Suleimani in 2020. This was a significant blow to Iran’s military operations in the Middle East.
“An ultra-conservative political group in Iran said slain IRGC commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi was involved in the planning and execution of Hamas’s deadly October 7 attack against Israel.
“It is the clearest admission of Iran’s involvement in the atrocities which saw 1,200 mostly civilians murdered and over 250 taken hostage, since terror group Hamas invaded Israel on October 7.” (Emphasis added)
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202404043146
Taking Zahedi out was then an important move. It reflects a readiness to confront the fact that behind all we are dealing with is Iran.
Israel has not claimed credit for this operation, would not do so. But Iran has threatened retaliation against Israel. Our military is on high alert; Netanyahu and members of our military have warned Iran that Israeli will respond directly against a strike in Israeli territory by hitting inside Iran.
The information I have seen from multiple sources indicates that Iran does not want war with Israel and will retaliate in some less direct form – likely speculation is a drone attack on an Israeli embassy or attacks via its proxies.
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And here we come to another factor related to this situation. I have only reports and rumors, nothing concretely definitive. Yet what I have seemed to me significant enough share here:
What is clear is that the Biden administration was quick to tell Iran that it had no involvement in or advance warning regarding the attack on its embassy – there is American concern about becoming embroiled in this. (The Biden administration was advised of the attack when Israeli planes were already in the air.)
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/02/iran-embassy-syria-israel-strike-biden
But the reports and rumors indicate communication between Iran and Biden on this issue – in one instance via a third party. Reportedly Iran informed Biden that there will be no direct attack on Israel if Biden can prevent Israel from going into Rafah and taking out Hamas. The US is denying this.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-795866
If this is true (and it would be appeasement), Biden’s concern would be avoiding US involvement. This might explain his drive to prevent us from going back into Gaza.
But we cannot, must not, be deterred for such a reason.
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And my last report for this post:
“An Israeli Air Force strike in the Al-Shati Camp on the northern Gaza coast killed six relatives of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Wednesday night.
“An Air Force aircraft, acting on the intelligence guidance of the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Shin Bet, attacked three military operatives of the Hamas terrorist organization on their way to carry out terror activities in the central Gaza Strip,” the IDF said in a post on X.
“Hazem, Ameer and Mohammed Haniyeh were all members of Hamas.”
https://www.jns.org/iaf-strike-kills-sons-of-hamas-leader-haniyeh/
Right on!
Ismail Haniyeh – who still sits in safety and luxury in Doha, as Qatar has not thrown him out – responded:
“I thank God for this honor that he bestowed upon us with the martyrdom of my three sons and some grandchildren.”
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Let your elected leaders in the US know that it is not only the progressive left that votes – that you are demanding support for Israel.
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Keep praying to Heaven for Israel. Pray for the strength and wisdom of our leaders, for the safety of our soldiers, and for the rescue of our hostages. Pray with a heart filled with hope.
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© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
