Is Raf OK? -- Installment #88

2024-03-11 -- Tel Aviv

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Tags: 4 Min Read; Video Clips

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Thank you for feedback and notes of encouragement. Here are some recent notes:

Gaza "Blockade" from 2005 to 2023

Every time I come across something talking about the terrible "siege" or "blockade" of Gaza, I just refer the person to the amount of arms and ammunition Hamas had/has to tell them that the blockade was clearly a failure. If they could get that much in despite Israel's efforts, then they could have been stockpiling food and medical supplies just as easily. This was a choice that Hamas made for its people, who it cares nothing abut.

About Those Stickers...

Not sure I love the gas chambers thing. A lot of people, uh, did not survive those

Fair call. I intend to reach out to the author of those with some alternate language.

Why The War Goes On…

The quote from the general makes this crystal clear without spelling it out.

Destruction of Weaponry & Baseless Destruction

A fact of the war in Gaza is the enormous destruction of housing. Neighborhoods and buildings have been destroyed, and continue to be. This relates directly to what I posted yesterday: When a whole neighborhood, that housed thousands, has weapons storerooms, workshops and tunnel entrances in essentially every other building, the entire neighborhood is blown up by the IDF. (Many structures are booby trapped so clearing them without destroying them isn't feasible. Despite great efforts, IDF soldiers die in these traps all the time. A child or Gazan wandering in would be at equal risk.)

This is the decade long destruction of Gaza that was done by Hamas: Turn all of Gaza into a fortress. So the only way to attack Hamas is to blow up the fortress. Baseless hatred turned baseless destruction.

For Example... Marwan Issa...

Date: March 11, 2024

The Israeli military reportedly attempted to assassinate Marwan Issa, the deputy head of the of Hamas’s military wing (#3 in the Hamas org in Gaza), in a recent airstrike in the central Gaza Strip.

According to Hebrew-language media reports, Issa was hiding in the Nuseirat camp. Overnight between Saturday and Sunday, the IDF carried out an airstrike on a building where he was believed to be.

Reports say five Palestinians were killed in the strike, although it is unknown if Issa is among them.

A Firefight....

Google translate of a March 11, 2024 IDF communication.

Egoz unit raid in the Hamad neighborhood

The soldiers of the Egoz commando unit continue to fight in the 'Hamad' neighborhood in Khan Yunis. The soldiers raid terrorist infrastructure on foot and locate weapons, eliminate dozens of terrorists and arrest terrorists who surrender to the forces.

During searches by the soldiers of the Egoz unit in the building, terrorists opened fire on the soldiers. The soldiers identified the terrorists using a drone and returned fire at them. During the encounter, the soldiers fired a 'Matador' missile accurately at the room in the apartment where the terrorist was staying while avoiding hitting a woman and two children who were staying in the next room.

The soldiers killed three armed terrorists and another terrorist surrendered and was handed over for further investigation by the security forces. The forces rescued the woman and two children from the building and transferred them to receive medical treatment.

1 Min. English subs by Raf. Military footage.

The Usual IDF Update

Sounds like this (from the last four days):

The IDF spokesperson informs that during the operation in the last few days in the "Madinat Hamad" project in the northwest of Khan Yunis, 250 terrorists of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas who were hiding there were arrested. Some of them took part in the attack of October 7th.

And we are over five months in...

In Gaza....

Israeli Report on Humanitarian Aid to Gaza (dated Jan 2024)

Discusses water supply and more.

Clan Politics

Arab society is, generally speaking, clan based. There have been reports that the IDF is in conversation with some large Gaza clans requesting that they help with food distribution and other humanitarian tasks. (For example, the upcoming aid via the U.S. temporary pier.)

From Arabic language social media:

Hamas threatens local clans as Israel seeks alternative leadership for the Gaza Strip

A security source in Hamas announced today that the organization will "hit with an iron fist" those who try to sabotage the "internal (united) front" (against Israel), adding that the terror group will "not allow new systems to be established." (read: "Will kill anyone who tries to set up an aid distribution network outside Hamas control.")

According to this source, Hamas considers answering Israel's attempts at contacting clan leaders in the Gaza Strip as "cooperation with the occupation" - akin to treason on the national level - something that it cannot allow: "History will not have mercy on those who worked with the occupation during the war," the source warns, adding "Israel's attempt at creating local authorities that will manage and run the strip is a failed plot that will not succeed. Resistance is the only guarantee for the Palestinian people."

Relief Area

Alef: The Beach Today

1 min.

Bet: A Gazan wrote on Facebook a few days ago:

"I dreamed that Sinwar was killed... and ascended to heaven on a white horse... and the gates of heaven were opened... and they let the horse in... and Sinwar was driven away."

Gimmel: The Secret!

Seen in Jerusalem in the past few days: Cars leafletted with CD's! That promise: "The secret to real happiness." Jerusalem....

Dalet

---

Today was a great day. Sold the scooter (at last! don’t ask…). Ate yummy kumquats. Watched the sun set. Talked about the threat by the ultrareligious “If we are subject to the draft, we will leave the country!” Raf’s response: Maybe just give up the vote. Want an exemption? Fine. Just no vote in national elections (the same as residents who are not citizens… you can vote in local elections but not national ones). Everyone gets something and we move on.

Problems in this region are solvable. Just gotta make it so.

Stay well.

Raf

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(Thank you A.K., S.D., M.T., S.Z.)