Israel is taking a pause in any military activity in order to ensure the safe release of hostages that have been abducted to Gaza: Israeli, dual citizenship Israeli/Irish, Israeli English, Israeli/French, Israeli/Russian, Israeli/Argentinian, Israeli/American and Thai, Nepalese and Filipino nationals and several Arab Muslim Bedouins are among the captive. The pause was supposed to last three days. Then it was extended to five. We are now on day seven with no end in sight.

On 17 January, 1971 America started its bombardment of Iraq starting Operation Desert Storm. Israel was pressured by the US to suspend any offensive moves in the event the Arab States would attack. That day an aerial attack of 42 Scud missiles were fired into Israel, aiming at Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. We were sitting ducks, collateral damage in order to protect US standing with the Muslim countries during the campaign. Israel suffered both damage to infrastructure as well as civilian casualties including two deaths.

Israel has continually been in an appeasement stance with the States ever since. After the brutal invasion of Gaza (Gaza is a sovereign territory governed by Hamas. Israel has no civilians, army or governance there) into Israel on 7 October, 2023, which included the massacring, raping, burning, mutilating, torturing, looting, destruction of property and abductions of 243 men, women, children (including 9 babies under age 4) and elderly, the State of Israel declared war on Hamas. It was a matter of good versus evil and the evil Hamas army had to be eliminated.

7000 missiles from Gaza were launched into Israeli territory in a period of just over one week. Think about that. Although Iron Dome defensive missile system intercepted many of the rockets launched, there was still extensive damage done to buildings and roads and many civilian casualties and deaths. 31% of Hamas rockets misfired, falling back into Gaza including one which struck the parking lot of a Palestinian hospital with unintended casualties. This incident was quickly and falsely attributed by the Hamas Medical Board to an Israeli air strike. It would be days and even weeks before the true facts were confirmed by international journalists; however the damage had already been done.

The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) called up reservists. Over 370,000 reported for active duty. Troops were amassed about the borders as the threat of a Hizbulla invasion from the North was imminent. Every day since 8 October, Iranian backed Hizbulla from Lebanon and Syria have been firing missiles and sending over explosive-laden UAVs into the Northern communities. All Israeli communities with 7 miles of the Northern and Gaza envelope borders have been evacuated. This has caused over 210,000 families to be displaced. In the meantime over 100,000 additional troops, returning ex-pats and Lone Soldiers have flown in from abroad to defend Israel.

The IDF was well-prepared and well-positioned. Morale and energy was high. The troops were ready spiritually and physically and the country was finally unified after a year of intense divisions. In the North it was decided by the head of the military that there would be no escalation. All IDF actions would be in direct response to attacks from Lebanon and Syria. It would involve deflecting incoming rockets and intercepting drones. Also, the IDF would shell watchtowers, satellite dishes, communications stations and sites of rocket launchers only.

From the onset, over one week of waiting for the United States with multiple visits from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the invasion of Gaza was delayed. Boots on the ground IDF troops were ready. All willing innocent Palestinian civilians were instructed to move to S Gaza below the set demarcation line. Hamas operatives stymied this by setting up barriers, bombing the routes and shooting at their own civilians. They like to use human shields. During this time, Hamas was still bombing Israel and the IDF was responding proportionally on Hamas launch sites and military strongholds, usually in densely populated Gaza City.

Israel’s mission was threefold: to destroy any further military capability of Hamas in Gaza. This included taking out all military and intelligence headquarters as well as targeting the Hamas commanders. Finding and dismantling all terror tunnels to render them inoperative was part of the mission. This would involve a heavily coordinated effort by air, ground and sea. It would involve intense house-by-house urban warfare with the knowledge that many places would be mined, booby trapped and patrolled by Hamas forces.

Israel’s second mission: to find and rescue any and all hostages alive or dead using exact information culled from captured Hamas prisoners being held in Israel. At first it was stated that there would be no negotiations with the enemy forces and no release of Gazan and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

In 2006, an IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit, was captured by Hamas and taken at gunpoint into Gaza. After negotiations brokered by Egypt, in 2011, 1027 Palestinian prisoners were set free from Israeli prisons. These were people captured, tried and convicted of planning or implementing acts of terror on Israeli citizens. This included stabbing, shooting, firebombing, car ramming, kidnapping and attempted murder, kidnapping or other acts of terror. One of the prisoners released was Yayha Sinwar, now head of Hamas and mastermind of the 7 October attacks. Gilad Shalit was released, but at tremendous cost to Israel. Not only did it have dangerous repercussions, but the move deeply divided the country politically.

The third mission: to somehow decide on and implement a plan that would help rebuild and return Gaza back to the innocent civilian population.

No one wants to think about 243 hostages held by Hamas. Many abducted were wounded by the gunshots and mortar fire. Many were elderly, over the age of 75. There were young children taken. Pregnant women. The parading of many captives through the streets of Gaza City and Khan Younis was televised the first day. Children were being encircled and taunted by the crowds. Women, obvious rape victims with bloody pants, were filmed being led by the hair to the jeers and cheers of civilians. Men and women in pickup trucks were being hit by innocent Gazan civilians with boards and canes and bats. How would they fare in Gaza? Would they be fed, treated for injuries, held in the dark, raped or tortured? Would they be used as human shields?

As days turned into weeks and atrocities verified (Yes. The world was not believing and actually demanding proof that the attack even happened), we got to know the abducted almost personally. They had names. They had lives and stories. They had families, some butchered, some kidnapped, some alive and awaiting their release. Most Israelis knew someone who had been taken- most at least knew someone who had a family member or friend abducted. It became very personal.

The United States sent over backup ships into the Mediterranean and Gulf of Aqaba. They resupplied our anti missile system with military ammunition and supplies that had originally been in Israel (but had been removed by the Biden administration). They gave us back the Iron Dome systems that we had lent to them. The United States offered to send in crack teams of doorbusters if needed. Israel thankfully declined. The Biden Administration begged us to rethink any ground incursion.

Despite the request to halt before even starting, the IDF moved into Northern Gaza. Humanitarian aid was being sent from Israel by the truckload to the south despite reports otherwise. Tanks supporting the ground forces entered the northern part of Gaza and began a three week mission of clearing terror sites and uncovering tunnels. Massive amounts of arms and ammunition were found: mortars, grenades, machine guns, bullets, pistols, RPGs, explosives, missiles, missile launchers. IDF uniforms were uncovered as well as other Iran supplied military equipment. The terror tunnels under three hospitals including the Shifa Medical Center were uncovered and televised to the world as proof.

After seeming progress was made in clearing out large swaths of the North (this included demolition of many buildings that served as terrorist sites), a “temporary pause” was brokered by Qatar, the US and Egypt. Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire with Hamas and Hizbulla in exchange for the release of UP TO 50 women and children hostages. Family groups were not to be split up. The Red Cross has refused to check on the condition of the hostages. They have also refused to give lifesaving medications delivered by Israeli families to the hostages.

One hour into the first day of the ceasefire, Hamas sent three missile barrages into Israel. Hizbulla continued their shelling of the North from Lebanon. There has been the lopsided release of three Palestinian prisoners, all convicted of attempted murder and terror activities, for every one Israeli hostage released. The Palestinians have had large welcome parades for the prisoners while continuing to chant death to all Jews. The Gazans have released 4 groups totaling 42 Israelis released, 1 Filipino and 14 Thais.

Of the released hostages, Elma Avraham is now in intensive care. She is 85 years old and has been without her lifesaving medication for 49 days. Two teenage girls were released, both requiring extensive surgeries to their legs for bullet wounds and multiple fractures that have not been properly treated. Most of the hostages released have been elderly women, children and their mothers. Reports have surfaced from the relatives that the hostages were held without showers or changes of clothing in suffocating and dark rooms. They were not allowed to speak. One 12 year old boy was made to watch the filming of his family and friends being murdered on Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was threatened at gunpoint not to cry. At first food rations were good, but for over the past two weeks consisted of one pita per day and two glasses of tea.

The Israeli government is again prioritizing the pause in combat for the release of its citizens. The two red headed children shown being abducted with their mother, Ariel Bibas age 3 and Kfir Bibas now 10 months, are lost. Hamas claims the Palestinian Islamic Jihad had them. PIJ does not seem to know their whereabouts. This is completely unacceptable. There are still 9 children being held, along with concertgoers from the Nova Party, men – including many elderly- and captured IDF soldiers, both male and female. There still remain over 180 people in captivity.

International diplomats and governments are trying to convince Israel of a permanent ceasefire. No mention of hostage releases. Putin has pressured Hamas into releasing 5 Russian civilians. Last Friday Hamas delayed the release of any hostages to the Red Cross by over 5 hours. When Netanyahu said bombing will commence at midnight, the captives were transferred at 11:50 pm. On Monday, several IDF troops were wounded by explosives and gunfire from Southern Gaza. Obviously the “pause” is one sided. Three UAVs have entered Israeli territory in the past two days from Lebanon. They have been shot down.

From the South, Iranian backed Houthi forces have fired multiple surface to air and surface to surface missiles at Eilat. All have been intercepted. Two Israeli owned cargo containers were commandeered by Houthis in the Red Sea. They are not regarding any ceasefire.

So, Israel is again divided. Of course, we want the immediate release of ALL people that were abducted. Dead or alive, they need to be released. No more bargaining. No more pause. Of course, we want to eliminate the threat of Hamas from being able to pull off an attack of any kind against Israel. No more ceasefire. Every day that a ground incursion is delayed, the greater the chance that the troops lose their moxie. The more truckloads of humanitarian aid that is being let into Southern Gaza, the greater the chance that re-arming of Hamas is occurring.

The desire of Hamas is to prolong a ceasefire for as long as possible in order to buy precious time. In the interim, the world’s attitudes are shifting away from Israel. Many Israelis see this as a terrorist psy-op, a form of extortion and way to create division between the families of the remaining hostages and military/government/popular front who want the military ground mission to continue. It is seen as a way of focusing attention on the ‘innocent Gazan’ refugees.

There are difficult decisions to be made. It is a difficult time. Hamas has just agreed to extend the ceasefire, the one they are not upholding, for an additional four days. And so it continues-