from the Jewish Federations of North American (JFNA)....
War in Israel: Update on Current Situation
November 21, 2024 - October 7 War, Day 412
A few hours ago, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes during the 13-month Gaza war and the October 2023 attack on Israel. Netanyahu said the charges were baseless and defended Israel's actions in Gaza. The Biden administration, Israeli opposition leaders, and others have strongly condemned the issuing of the warrants. Nonetheless, the warrants could potentially prevent Netanyahu and Gallant from travelling to many countries, including most of those in Europe, where governments, as signatories to ICC treaties, would be obliged to arrest the Israeli leaders. The US is not a party to the ICC.
White House Special Envoy Amos Hochstein has arrived in Israel following his trip to Lebanon, to continue negotiations on a possible deal with Hezbollah. Many are optimistic that an agreement can be reached in the coming days.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Activities
Several Hezbollah command centers that were embedded in civilian areas in Lebanon were struck by Israeli missiles today during a third wave of airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings.
IDF Sgt.First Class (res.) Roi Sasson, 21, died yesterday while fighting terrorists in northern Gaza. Sasson was a member of the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion
Sergeant Gur Kehati 20, from Nir Banim, died in battle in southern Lebanon. He served in the 13th Battalion in the Golani Brigade.
An investigation by the IDF found that Sgt-Maj Eitan Ben Ami, who had reportedly died in combat yesterday in southern Lebanon, actually perished because a damaged building collapsed as he and other commandos were inside. The collapse was attributed to prior Israeli strikes and harsh weather.
800 IDF soldiers have now died in combat beginning Oct. 7, 2023.
A drone from Lebanon that triggered air raid sirens in Nahariya and its environs this morning was intercepted by the IDF. No injuries were reported. On Tuesday, six drones were shot down by the Israeli Air Force, five of which had been launched from Lebanon (the sixth was from the east). Yesterday, a single barrage of two dozen missiles was fired at northern Israel.
A 71-year-old Israeli archaeologist, Zeev Erlich, was killed in a Hezbollah ambush in Lebanon while visiting an ancient site with Israeli troops. Erlich, a former reservist major, reportedly entered the warzone without authorization alongside Col. Yoav Yarom, chief of staff of the Golani Brigade, to examine a historic fortress. Despite being a civilian, Erlich was armed and wearing an IDF uniform. The site was believed to have been secured before their arrival.
A UN aid convoy of 109 trucks was violently looted in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, with drivers forced at gunpoint to unload supplies, according to UNRWA. Most of the trucks, which were traveling from the Kerem Shalom border crossing, were lost, some drivers were shot, and several vehicles were damaged. Only 11 trucks reached their destination.
Ceasefire Talks
Hamas' acting Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya stated categorically on Wednesday on the Al-Aqsa television channel that until Israel stops its war in the Gaza Strip, there will be no exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Also on Wednesday, the US vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an unconditional permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The UN ambassador said the US would not support any resolution that does not call for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages. The veto marked the fourth time since the war began that the US has vetoed a ceasefire resolution in Gaza. The US was the only nation, out of the 15 members of the Security Council, that voted against the resolution.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated on Wednesday that the group had reviewed a U.S.-proposed ceasefire and submitted its response via Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, leaving Israel to make the next move. In a pre-recorded speech, Qassem emphasized two key principles in the negotiations: halting hostilities and preserving Lebanese sovereignty. Qassem warned that Hezbollah could sustain a prolonged conflict and vowed to retaliate against any future Israeli strikes on Beirut by targeting Tel Aviv.
Hours earlier, the new Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Saar expressed a desire for a lasting agreement but emphasized Israel's prerogative to act, if the terms were violated.
International
19 Democratic senators voted this week to advance some or all of a series of three resolutions proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would prevent the US from selling several types of weapons to Israel. While the resolutions never had a realistic chance of passage, this underscores a growing rift within the Democratic Party over the issue of military aid to the Jewish State.
Although Iran has denied it, documents discovered by the IDF in Gaza show beyond a doubt that Tehran played a major role in the October 7th attack by Hamas and was deeply involved in the preparation for the massacres.
This week, Saar urged the UN Security Council to act swiftly against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq who are attacking Israel with drones and missiles. Sa’ar condemned the escalating attacks since September as violations of international law, warning they risk dangerous regional escalation and threaten global security. He called them “blatant violations of the U.N. Charter and International Law,” adding that they “have the potential to further drag the region in a very dangerous escalation while posing a significant threat to international peace and security.”
Saar excoriated Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema for saying that she regrets using the word “pogrom” to describe the violence against Israeli soccer fans that occurred earlier this month in the Dutch capital. “Hundreds of Israeli fans who came to watch a football match were pursued and attacked, targeted by a mob asking for their passports to check if they were citizens of the Jewish state,” Saar noted. “There is no other word for this than a pogrom.”
Hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that he will give a $5 million reward for the release of each Israeli hostage still held by Hamas in Gaza. Any Palestinian who helps secure their freedom is eligible for the reward. He also vowed that anyone who hurts or kills a hostage would face consequences from Israel. One hundred and one people abducted during the October 7th attacks are believed to still be captive in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities, although at least a third of those are believed to be dead
Stories of Heroism and Heartache
Watch this video of Russian-Israeli hostage Alexander “Sasha” Troufanov in which he talks about a lack of food and water in captivity.
Varda Harmati, 81, was killed in her home on Kibbutz Re’im near the Gaza border on October 7. She was found by her partner of 50 years, Boaz. Varda had always sent morning messages to her family, but that day, none came. Born in 1942 to Holocaust survivors, Varda grew up on Kibbutz Maoz Haim and served in the IDF’s Sayeret Shaked unit. She later helped found Kibbutz Re’im, where she raised her children and adored her grandchildren. Varda remained active at the kibbutz, working at the Isralaser factory and maintaining a vibrant social life. She was known for her energy and charm.
Tamir Nimrodi, a 19-year-old soldier serving in COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration for the Gaza Strip, was taken hostage from his base near the Erez Crossing on October 7. On that day, Nimrodi had just gone to sleep in the early hours when Hamas terrorists attacked the base. At around 6:45 a.m., as sirens sounded, Nimrodi messaged his mother, checking in on her and informing her of the rocket attack. By 7:12 a.m., he had been captured, along with fellow soldiers Ron Sherman and Nik Baizer. His friends who had stayed in the other section of the base survived the attack.
For Further Reading
Read this report issued by a group of senior military generals from NATO countries after they visited Gaza over the summer. The report discusses Israel’s commitment to international law and “impressive efforts” to deliver aid, in ways their own forces have not done. The report was a direct response to the announcement of arrest warrants over the summer.
Lebanon’s Day After: Will the Country Survive the War with Israel?
Jewish Federations Resources
Jewish Federations have produced new one-pagers highlighting the impact of Federations’ emergency allocations for these grantees:
See also these updated resources by Jewish Federations that give insight into specific areas of Federations’ emergency allocations:
For more information, please contact: Jewish Federations of North America’s Dani Wassner dani.wassner@jewishfederations.org. Subscribe to this weekly update here.
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