Is Raf OK? -- Installment #69
2024-01-11 - Tel Aviv
Tags: 4 Min Read; Some Vids
It is raining. Has been since yesterday evening. Last night, I went to a wedding. The "split" between everyone's life and the war jars at times.
In other news: I have become something of a regular at a Yemenite soup place near my apartment. The soup and lachuch (Yemenite pita) is beyond belief tasty. Sitting there today, we noticed that the shop across the street sells Khat/Qat/Gat juice.
(I have been told that mixed with Vodka it makes quite a hallucinogen.)
As My Mother Says
Lebanese parliament deputy speaker Elias Abu Sa'ab said that returning the residents of Lebanon's southern villages is only possible through diplomatic efforts, and that "war is not the solution."
Did you see the protests about the migration of Lebanese citizens (of multiple religions) out of their homes?
No?
But... There are tens of thousands displaced, and Israel has been bombing Lebanon many times a day for three months.
OK OK, I get the message. Lebanese lives aren't worth as much as Gazans. Gazans get protests in Western capitals. Lebanese get nothing.
But my mother (and I) agree: War is not the solution.
The challenge for Elias Abu Sa'ab: The Lebanese government isn't strong enough. It doesn't control what happens on its territory. Hezbollah is both an official political party and maintains its own powerful military on Lebanese soil. While the Lebanese government (and populace) has no interest in war (with anyone), Hezbollah does what it wants (including triggering full blown wars with Israel). Well, what it wants or what Iran tells it to want.
Gaza has a parallel problem: If Israel walks out of Gaza tomorrow, who is in control? The guys with guns: Hamas.
Breaking The Silence Agrees With Mom
That massive destruction is not the answer.
The Generals’ dilemma: If the alternative is either: (a) Leave Hamas in power; or (b) Thousands of killed Israeli soldiers, what would “General You” do?
From The Front
Tunnels
Underneath the city of Khan Yunis, IDF troops exposed an underground tunnel confirmed to have held Israeli hostages.
The tunnel was connected to an extensive network beneath a civilian area. Millions of shekels are estimated to have been invested in excavating the tunnel and equipping it with air ventilation systems, electrical supply and plumbing. (80 Seconds)
A Hostage Who Was There
She was captured by Gaza civilians who were armed with a knife on October 7 and then sold to Hamas. (Hebrew with English subs)
Rocket Workshop
Another day, another workshop... (more like once every week or two). This one found January 10 in Khan Yunis:
What Does a Refugee Camp Look Like?
You may have noticed that while today a big chunk of Gazans live in tents, this was not the case on October 6. And now... a luxury home in the middle of the Bureij refugee camp...
(Example one zillion in how language: “refugee camp” does not represent Gaza reality...)
Earlier today, the IDF spokesman in Arabic presented documentation from the vacation house of Marwan Issa, number 2 in the military wing of Hamas. The vacation house is located in the Bureij refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip.
Journalists
Example One zillion-and-one: Dozens of "Journalists" have, indisputably, been killed by the IDF in Gaza. The topic is: What does "Journalist" mean to you?
In Gaza, these "journalists" knew in advance about the October 7 attack, accompanied Gazans into Israel, incited more to join, and were protected from attack (by Israel's Rules of Engagement until October 6). Once it became clear that they were part of the Hamas machine, they lost their protection. An example (from Arabic language sources):
3 days ago the "journalist" Hamza Dahdouh was killed along with another "journalist" while they were driving in Rafah.
Hamza Dahdouh is the son of Wael Dahdouh, director of Al Jazeera's offices in Gaza and a famous Gazan journalist in this war. He lost most of his family in an Israeli attack in Gaza City at the beginning of the war.
This evening, the IDF spokesman reveals a document indicating that Hamza Dahdouh was an operative of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad - a terrorist organization that is recognized as such among Western countries.
The Islamic Jihad military wing internal roster showing Hamza Dahdouh was a commander.
Injured Front Line Paramedic
In Hebrew. Medics are placed with combat units. These young people experience the horror of war, and sometimes they are wounded.
Relief Area
Alef - Look Behind You?
Bet
It’s pouring. I am going to Jerusalem, so will throw a few things in a bag and wash the last dishes. Yoni, the reservist, wrote about a briefing as his brigade was being released to go home:
Last night our brigade, in its entirety, was sent home for leave. As we are between operations, they are calling it התרעננות - refreshment. Before we were released, our officer reminded us that we were not the only ones who need refreshment:
“Go home not just to be refreshed, but to refresh others,” he warned us. “Wash dishes.”
Demand for baby sitters is through the roof. (For tens of thousands of families who have reservists away for months now.)
Stay well,
Raf
(Thank you A.K. & A.K.K.)