The good news is that I gained a month- I’ve been thinking all morning that it was 1April and wondering what “pranks” life has in store today…only to realize I’ve fooled myself.

In the news Israel released 50 convicted terrorists from West Bank prisons this morning. I can’t imagine what we get in return. Yesterday a 57 year old man (who volunteered his time at ZAKA recovering and preparing bodies for burial from 7 October) and a 16 year old student and farmer were gunned down at a gas station in Samaria (West Bank). The terrorist was a policeman with the Palestinian Authority. He was eliminated by a reservist on home for a two day leave from Gaza.

The radical Islamists have been commanded by Hamas’ Yayha Sinwar to riot on the Temple Mount beginning at Ramadan which starts on the 11th of this month. So, to tighten up control or not? Either way, it could lead to escalation from the Muslim sector. As well as limiting amount of people who can go up. Or granting Palestinians day passes. Or shutting the whole place down to everyone altogether.

In the middle of the country, according to my son, they are beginning to see marked shortages in the supermarkets. Up here in the Northern agricultural centers, we seem to be holding. The Red Sea ports have been greatly affected by Houthi pirates. They cut undersea communications lines between Europe & Asia last Wednesday. Ashkelon port is pretty much Ed closed as it lies adjacent to Gaza. Ashdod is operating minimally. Which leaves Haifa port. So freighters are stacked and there are not enough workers. Delays are expected from both export and import ends.

This week was elections week across Israel. The army was given two extra days to vote in mostly municipal elections. To vote here, you must be a citizen and be registered to vote. All voting is done in person . For national elections, citizens come back into the country to cast their ballots at their designated polling place. Voting card and national ID is shown 3 times. At the door. Then as you are checked in a panel of 6 triple checks on paper rolls. Three people check the work of each of the three registrars. At the third check point you surrender your ID and get your envelopes. You go behind a cardboard booth where there is a table with a box of paper slips with the Hebrew letter for each party. You take one slip and put it in one envelope. Seal the envelope. Come out to the front. A person watches to make sure you’ve put in one envelope. You receive your ID back. It’s really not difficult.

If you hear anything in the news at all, you are probably by now hearing about how the IDF massacred over 100 Palestinians in cold blood yesterday. Israel has been increasing shipments of humanitarian aid. UNRWA was sneaking in armaments so now aid of necessary food and hygiene items are being dropped into designated spots in Northern Gaza (mostly) and Southern Gaza by parachuted bundles. Also 30 truckloads were driven into Gaza by the IDF early yesterday morning. Eight entered Gaza City before the situation escalated with thousands swarming the convoy. There were no tanks in the vicinity, contrary to Palestinian reports of tanks firing into the crowds.

The Hamas Health Authority reported on the Al Rashid Massacre in which innocent civilians waiting for their relief aid were ambushed by the IDF. White House officials examining footage of bodies being loaded onto trucks are calling it a grave situation with Sec. of Defense Lloyd Austin stating that the IDF have killed over 25,000 innocent Palestinian women and children since 7 October. Later yesterday, the Biden admin had rectified this mistake, saying this was total numbers killed, including the Hamas fighters, but it had already been picked up by the AP, Reuters and MSM. Another premature report or misstatement with damage done.

The entire situation was unfortunate in that IDF camera footage from the trucks showed shooting both at the trucks and into the crowds as a riot was occurring to swarm the trucks and get aid. Thousands of people can be seen swarming the eight trucks that made it into Gaza City. In fleeing the scene, two of the trucks ran over several people.

There were flatbed trucks waiting to upload food and supplies driven by Palestinians. These, too, were swarmed by desperate people trying to get goods before Hamas operatives could take them. Many were trampled in the melee. In satellite video, you can see a stampede happening with people getting trampled in the confusion.

Also the IDF fired several warning shots into the air to try to keep people away from the unloading until order could be restored. According to Israeli reports 9 Palestinians were shot in the legs by the IDF. Four of those shot had machine guns. It’s hard to see from the video, but- it was certainly not modus operandi for Israel to create an ambush on innocent civilians and they did not massacre hundreds.

https://youtu.be/JVQnAtDh0n0?si=PLMXj2OvE9KEK44m

Whether we’ll ever know the exact story is anyone’s guess. Most news outlets from BBC to now Fox have been biased against Israel, and the international community is calling for complete ceasefire. This will cause Hamas to regrow, regroup and come back even stronger. It’s all a complete mess.

That said, John and I were able to make a short trip to our favorite store in Deganya on the shores of the Kinneret yesterday. Sea of Galilee. The weather was positively springlike. The mountains lush and green and snow capped the top of Mt. Hermon in the distance. We needed to pick up much desired and requested Israeli items to take to our daughter in England late next week: dates, halvah, Ethiopian techineh, Zataar, sumac, olive oil and shawarma spice among other things.

Next week is a pretty busy one for us, so I’m not sure how many posts I’ll get to. Our trip has been canceled twice since 7 October and we’re excited to see the new baby. I’m praying nothing escalates out of control before then- in the meantime I pray for a peaceful Shabbat!