November 2, 2023

The Latest:

·       More than three weeks into Israel’s War with Hamas, heavy fighting continues in Gaza. Eighteen Israeli soldiers have been killed, as well as hundreds of terrorists.

·       Israel’s updated official numbers are now saying that at least 242 Israelis are still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

Key Resources From Jewish Federations

  • The Jewish Agency for Israel invites you to join us on Sunday, November 5 at noon ET together with our partners at the National Institutions Building–the World Zionist Organization, Keren Hayesod, and the Jewish National Fund–to mark the Shloshim (traditional 30 days of mourning) since the tragic events of October 7. In memory of those who were murdered on that dark day, we will hold a ceremony at our Jerusalem headquarters, and it will be streamed live on the Jewish Agency’s Facebook page.
  • In the latest episode of our podcast, The Glue, Eric Fingerhut talks about the ramifications of the war in Israel with Becky Caspi, the Director-General of Israel and Overseas and Aaron J. Goldberg, the Director of the Israel Office of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. To listen, click here.
  • This site shows a map of the October 7 massacre, with a red dot for every person killed and a black dot for every person abducted by Hamas. Clicking on any dot will show the name and picture (if available) of the victim, along with their age and last-known location.

Israel Defense Forces Operations
The ground operation continues in full force. Amid fierce fighting, Gaza City itself is now more or less surrounded by IDF forces after troops broke through Hamas’ forward positions and perimeter defenses. The fighting will now take place in a more dense urban area.

In one incident overnight, Hamas sent a large group of women and children to act as human shields against IDF troops who were attacking a key compound of the terror group in the Gaza Strip. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the assault on Hamas’s Central Jabaliya Battalion base..

According to the IDF, since the beginning of the war, more than 11,000 sites belonging to Hamas and other terror groups have been hit.

Yesterday, 61 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza from Egypt, despite repeated reports that Hamas is using emergency supplies for its own terror purposes. Listen to this conversation between a commander of Hamas’s Western Jabaliya Battalion and a Gazan resident, with the participation of the director of the Indonesian Hospital. The call, which was intercepted by Israeli Military Intelligence, confirms that Hamas controls energy distribution in Gaza, prioritizing terrorist needs over the needs of their civilian population. In the phone call, a Hamas commander repeatedly alludes to Hamas taking fuel from the hospital’s stocks, “working as a government for the sake of the country.” See a photo of the hospital here.

The level of rocket fire from Gaza remains low compared to the early days of the war, but there has been a barrage against Tel Aviv and the center almost every day. For reasons unknown, many rockets are fired “on the hour.”

In the north, Hezbollah has continued its low-intensity attacks along the Lebanese border, while the IDF strikes at cells and the sources of fire. Late Tuesday night, the IDF intercepted a surface-to-air missile launched from Lebanese territory.

International Response
Germany announced that it will completely ban all activities of Hamas, already a designated terrorist organization in the country, as well as the pro-Palestinian group Samidoun, effective next Wednesday. The country’s Interior Minister said, “With Hamas, I have today completely banned the activities of a terrorist organization whose aim is to destroy the state of Israel.”

In the UK, the cover of The Sun newspaper featured the faces of the 32 Israeli children who have been held hostage by Hamas since October 7, under the banner “Bring them home.” The paper continued with a headline that read, “32 innocent children were snatched by terrorists. This is why Israel must fight the evil of Hamas.” See here.

Thai officials held direct talks with Hamas in Iran last week over the fate of 22 of the kingdom’s nationals taken hostage by the terror group on October 7. Negotiators met Hamas officials in Tehran on October 26 and were given a pledge that the Thais would be released at the “right time.”

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry has earmarked $2.5 million for civic advocacy efforts to combat antisemitism and promote Israel’s stance globally. The financial injection comes as part of the ‘Voices of Israel’ initiative, a response to the heightened needs as a result of the war. The program encourages organizations and companies worldwide to engage in advocacy; they are offering a matching fund model to double their investment in these efforts.

Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu continued his conversations with world leaders yesterday, including with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, where he expressed his sincere condolences over the murder and abduction of Thai nationals and conveyed his appreciation for the Thai workers and their contribution to the economy. Netanyahu also spoke—for the third time since the outbreak of the war—with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and briefed him on the situation regarding the fighting. The Prime Minister thanked the Chancellor for his continued support of the State of Israel.

See this letter from the presidents of Israeli universities to their colleagues overseas.

Efforts on the Ground
Israelis of all stripes have come together to support soldiers and bolster morale in the country, many sharing inspiring tales. Read about the struggles of the evacuees, and the help they receive, here.

Read here about how fallen Israeli soldiers’ organs are saving lives.

Israel’s economy has been hard hit by the war. Since October 7, more than 46,000 workers have been laid off or put on unpaid leave, according to data the Labor Ministry published. The majority, approximately 70%, are on unpaid leave.

Watch volunteers at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital helping raise spirits. And see this soldier’s request to people everywhere, as he goes into battle.

Addressing the topic of the Israeli spirit in an address to the nation last night, President Isaac Herzog said, “I would like to speak of another source of great hope at this time, even now- in the fog, especially now. The Israeli spirit. An unbreakable spirit. The spirit of a storm which rose from ashes and destruction and is already blowing with all its might. This spirit has revealed itself mightily, in thousands of heroic stories from the frontline and the home front. It blows through each outreached hand, in the exemplary Israeli volunteerism and mutual responsibility, seeking to strengthen, to embrace, to support. It blows in every corner of our remarkable country – every corner. It is an eternal spirit, passed on to us from the generations before us, a spirit which will continue to guide us, generation to generation. This spirit is you–my sisters and brothers–the people of Israel. Israeli society is our true secret weapon. You are my greatest hope, our greatest hope… We have a solid country and a wonderful and magnificent people. We have important and powerful allies all over the world. We have Jewish sisters and brothers in the Diaspora who stand by us with all their might despite the attacks and threats against them. And above all, we have national resilience and unending strength.” (You can watch the President’s full address in Hebrew, here and read an English translation here).

Analysis

Our Israel Office, having activated emergency protocols, is working closely with our partners on the ground, and is close contact with the Government of Israel and the IDF. We will continue to update as the situation develops.