Unconditional Surrender Expected: War Day 7, Oct 13, 2023

Approximately 1500 dead over 3000 injured so far from the Hamas invasion into southern Israel of over 2500 terrorists. Over 6000 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza. Israel continues to bomb Gaza. The Israeli army has also warned residents of northern Gaza to evacuate the area within 24-hours. Hamas expects a massive ground invasion at any time. Hamas has told these residents not to leave. The army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagar has warned the residents of Gaza not to be used as human shields. Military analysts said that the air force is expected to bomb targets in northern Gaza irrespective if civilians are in buildings. While the UN warns of a humanitarian crises, Channel 12tv new’s Ohad Hamo said he has been in touch with people in Gaza and was told there is no humanitarian crises. “They have water and food and medicine. Israel knows it is important not to put Gaza into a humanitarian crises. Israel needs legitimacy in the international courts despite that the Judicial Reform activists said Israel’s courts should be able to be involved in military decisions.” Hamo also said that sources in Gaza said that Hamas “didn’t expect to be in this bad a situation within a week of their attack.” Hamo echoed other analysts saying that Hamas expected that their invasion would spark a general uprising among Israeli Arabs, Palestinians in the West Bank, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. “None of that happened,” said Hamo. “Plus the cruel way they butchered Israelis has isolated them from the international community.” Another report added that the Israeli army had found tents, shaving equipment, and other supplies indicating that Hamas had expected to stay in Israel for an extended period. Alon Davidi, the mayor of Sderot, one of the southern towns hit hard by the Hamas missiles and by terrorists, told Chanel 1tv news that he’d been going from funeral to funeral “The government shouldn’t listen to those saying the invasion of Gaza will take a heavy toll on Gaza. The area has to be cleared of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. A new era is needed. It’s either them or us.” However, some analysts who said that Hamas was an existential threat to Israel were exaggerating. “Hamas is not strong enough to destroy Israel, or the Jewish people,” analyst Shmuel Rosner told Channel 1tv news. “But we don’t want to have to hide in closets, pretending we’re not Jews.” Gen. Giora Eiland, former head of Military Intelligence, told a panel on Channel 12tv news that “In February 1943, US President Roosevelt met at the Tehran Conference with Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin. At that conference it was decided that the Nazi government of Germany would have to “Surrender with no preconditions.” Eiland said the same should be true of Hamas. “If Hamas sits on floors 4 & 5 with civilians above or below in the building, previously we’d inform the residents to clear out. This is not necessary in international law. If we want to have total war we must take the necessary steps. We can’t worry about humanitarian criticism.” In ’43 the USA and Britain understood this, said Eiland. He pointed out that Hamas hid their rockets and ammunition and headquarters under hospitals and schools. “What to do? The have to evacuate the hospitals. The international community should be called in to help do this.” Eiland said that in 1982 when Israel was at war with the PLO in Lebanon, PLO leader Yassir Arafat said that Beirut would be their Stalingrad. Israel proceeded to bombarded parts of Beirut into rubble. “I was a brigade commander then. When it came time for troops to enter Beirut, we just walked in. The PLO had fled.” He hinted that the same would be true of Gaza. As to Hezbollah entering the fray and making this a two front war he said, “As long as we don’t make make mistakes, Hezbollah will stay out.Every day that passes lessens the chance of their involvement.” A Hezbollah spokesman said later that Hezbollah would enter the fight “when we are ready.” According to Israel radio’s Reshet Bet, Hamas lobbed a long range rocket that fell, for the first time, in the port of Haifa. The rocket was intercepted by a David’s sling. However, missiles did fly out of the north today, landing in an open field in near Haifa. Sirens were heard in the north. The norther border town of Metulla was evacuated. The rockets were few from the North. Most were fired from Gaza. Hamas unleashed a fierce attack on Ashkelon on Friday morning lobbing over 60 rockets on the seaside city. An hour later another attack, with one rocket landing on a building with no injuries. Nir Dvori, military correspondent of Channel 12tv news said that since the war began over 1000 missiles had been fired at Ashkelon out of the total of 6000 fired at Israel. He said the attack this morning was meant to look for holes in the Iron Dome. Also, to catch Israelis in Gaza unaware. “It is Friday. People came out of their bomb shelters to shop and prepare for Shabbat. Hamas took advantage of that.” A poll conducted by Israel’s newspaper Maariv showed that support for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Likud party had dropped precipitously. If an election were held to day Benny Gantz’s National Unity party would win 41 seats (out of 120 Knesset seats) and Netanyahu’s Likud only 19. Asked who was better suited to lead Israel 48% said Benny Gantz and 29% Netanyahu. Those polled said that in spite of the Hamas attack, 72% still trusted the IDF. Gen. Giora Eiland was highly critical of Netanyahu’s 20-minute speech to the nation on Thursday night. “He spoke for 20-minutes and never sent a message of sympathy to those who had been attacked along the Gaza border.” Eiland pointed out that Netanyahu did take the opportunity to make clear that he’d not been informed of the impeding attack until a minute before it was launched.Rather, Netanyahu allowed the blame to fall on everyone else, the army, intelligence, even those in his own office. “Just not him when he is the one to blame. He is the one responsible. It’s a shame he’s trying to lay blame on the army, especially now, when the army is entering a big battle,” said Eiland. Eiland lauded Gen. Herzi HaLevi, who had appeared on TV earlier in the evening accepting blame for the Hamas attack, admitting the army and intelligence services had made mistakes. But, he said, the time for going into the deep investigation of what happened and who was to blame should be left until after the war. “Now is the time to fight and win.” News reports have been circulating that the USA had sent the Israelis a message six days before the Hamas attack that a major incident was coming. Reportedly, the Egyptians had warned Israeli officials of an impending major attack. However, PM Netanyahu has remained adamant that he knew nothing until a minute before the attacks. EIland said that Hamas made a critical error in thinking there would be a major uprising. “Through the horrific and sadistic acts they committed Hamas has isolated itself from the international community.” He said, however, that destroying Hamas as a military entity was possible but destroying Hamas completely was not since Hamas was also a religious movement and would, even if stripped of their military capability, still be around as a religious entity.” But, he added, “After their sadistic slaughter Hamas has to be destroyed.” The threat of terrorist attacks in the south is still on Israel’s radar. There are terrorists still roaming free after escaping the IDF sweep of the southern towns. Israel reportedly killed a number of terrorists in firefights over the last few days. This even though Army Spokesman has said that the south has been secured. There were also reports of two other incursions in the south, one near Kibbutz Zikim, the other near Nachal Oz, this by a terrorist flying an ultra-light aircraft similar to that used in the initial attack. Luckily for Israel, the Israeli people are not alone in this fight. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was in Israel on Thursday and told the Israeli people in a television speech after meeting with Israel’s PM Netanyahu, that “The USA stands shoulder to shoulder with Israel. As long as there is a United States Israel is not alone.” US Sec. of Defense Lylod Austin, (l) Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ® On Friday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was in Israel meeting with Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The two appeared before the press following Austin’s meeting with Gallant. Gallant told the press that Austin was shown into the “well,” the defence ministry’s inner sanctum at Israel’s version of the Pentagon in Tel Aviv. Gallant told Austin, “When you say you stand with us, you show up.” Gallant said that he’d shared with Austin Israel’s operational plans and capabilities. He said that others have tried to destroy Israel in the past and didn’t succeed Now the attacker is the one being attacked.” He said, “We will keep fighting until we win.” Austin told the press, “I’m here to make something perfectly clear. We stand with Israel, with the soldiers, and the families of the hostages. some who are Americans…This is not the time for neutrality,” Austin said. “Anyone who wants peace in the region must isolate Hamas.” Austin said that the cruelty he saw committed by Hamas reminded him of Isis. “Who were bloodthirsty, cruel, and looking for death…Make no mistake, American will make sure that Israel has what it needs to succeed.” He pointed out that, “Democracies like the US and Israel respect the rule of law.” Austin also said, “This is the time for resolve, not panic. “ He said that the US had sent the Gerald R. Ford (aircraft carrier) strike group into the region. “The US Department of Defense stands ready to provide what is needed…And as President Biden said, anyone who is thinking of reprisals there is one word for them, ‘Don’t.’” “The US has Israel’s Back, Austin said, and ended with “Shabbat Shalom.” Former Israel Ambassador to the US, Danny Alon told Channel 1tv news, “Since 1948 there has not been a US government as supportive, who acted as quickly, as this one. What we have here is a ‘Pearl Harbor’ scenario, as the US sees it. Still he said the US expects Israel to provide a humanitarian corridor allowing Gazans to flee the impending attacks.