OCTOBER 19 • 2023 | 35
J
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YOSSI ZAMIR/FLASH90/JTA

Israeli security seen next to 
burnt cars at the entrance 
to Kibbutz Be’eri, near 
the Israeli-Gaza Border, in 
southern Israel, Oct. 9, 2023.

mass murder, kidnapping. 
Stories abound in the Israeli 
press of terrorists entering 
unlocked homes and safe rooms 
during air raid sirens, killing, 
raping and stealing children 
and adults of all ages. The Times 
of Israel told of one man who 
reported his wife’s phone pinged 
from Gaza City, and then he 
spotted her being paraded 
there on an Israeli replay of 
Hamas TV
. Reports abound on 
WhatsApp, Facebook and other 
lists of missing family members, 
people camping, etc., lost either 
to kidnapping or simply out of 
communication. 
According to the Jerusalem 
Post, Israel’s Embassy to the 
United States reported over 
100 soldiers and civilians 
were kidnapped into Gaza. 
Unconfirmed reports are cir-
culating of at least 500 civilians 
missing in action, either lost, 
dead or abducted.
Local media report massive 
joyful demonstrations erupting 
in Ramallah, Schem/Nabulus, 
Hebron and elsewhere, hon-
oring the “brave” Palestinians 
for their heroic abductions of 

the defenseless. These Hamas 
“heroes” also are carjacking 
civilian vehicles, kidnapping 
their drivers and passengers, 
and then driving and shooting 
at civilians of opportunity along 
their routes further into Israel.
Ironically, Hamas grew out 
of Islamic welfare associations 
nurtured by Israel to provide 
charitable support to the local 
population in the 1970s as a 
counterweight to the PLO in 
towns in Judaea, Samaria and 
the Gaza Strip. It was taken over 
by the Muslim Brotherhood in 
the late 1980s, officially declar-
ing itself a “resistance” group 
in December 1987 as the first 
Intifada began.
Fast forward through the 
Oslo process, which gave the 
Palestinians self-government 
and a roadmap to a state, the 
terrorism and bus bombings 
that followed immediately, and 
the Second Intifada, also called 
the “Oslo War.
” Israel withdrew 
from the Gaza Strip in 2005. 
The purpose was to give the 
Palestinians a chance to prove 
their claims that they want to 
and can govern themselves.

FRONT LINES
One of the Israeli towns 
attacked and infiltrated by 
Hamas is Ofakim, population 
34,000. It sits between Gaza and 
Beersheva, 30 km or 18.5 miles 
from the Gaza Strip — or about 
the distance from Farmington 
Hills to Downtown Detroit. 
 Videos were circulating of 
running gun fights with Hamas 
terrorists on Route 4 near 
Ashkelon, the closest city to 
Gaza, in which multiple Israeli 
civilians were killed. Reports 
add that police captured the 
terrorists. As a result, more 
than 25 towns near Gaza were 
evacuated.
Col. Richard Kemp, the for-
mer commander of British forc-
es in Afghanistan, told Israel 
National News/Arutz (Channel) 
7, that the sophistication of the 
invasion appears to be beyond 
Hamas’ capabilities. He said he 
clearly sees the hands of Russia 
and Iran in the plan.
Beyond the regional fighting, 
local Egyptian media reported 
two to six Israeli tourists 
reportedly were murdered in 
Alexandria by an Egyptian 

police officer who fired into 
their bus. 
At home, hundreds of 
WhatsApp groups have popped 
up or been repurposed to 
provide access to emotional 
support for Israelis — sabras 
and olim (immigrants) alike — 
to address their anxiety in the 
situation. 
Some are organizing citizens 
to provide food, water and 
supplies to reservists called 
up during Simchat Torah and 
after at their assembly points 
while awaiting orders. Others 
target ride sharing, as public 
transportation has become 
somewhat of an issue because 
of the call up of many drivers. 
Assistance to the local self-
help efforts to alleviate issues 
for civilians and help provide 
supplementary supplies for 
local soldiers and reservists 
called up can be made through 
Just One Chesed, https://
justonechesed.org/aid4israel.
Now everyone locks and 
double locks their doors and 
windows everywhere in the 
country.

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