As I wrote yesterday, the IDF has made enormous progress in rooting out Hamas terrorists and preventing them from continuing their murderous plans. Israelis are taking heart from the fact that Hamas has been unable to carry out any “revenge” operations, like shelling Israeli towns, even after the successful elimination of major players like Commander of Hamas’ Khan Yunis Brigade, Rafa’a Salameh, and hopefully, but still unconfirmed, Mohammed Deif.

But this should not lead to a lack of vigilance. Abu Ali Express estimates there remains between 60 to 70 thousand people in Gaza still carrying weapons, whether terrorists of Hamas, Islamic Jihad (or some other jihadi group), “policemen” or “security” services. Israel has to get rid of them, one way or the other.

This is happening, but slowly, with the IDF showing more compassion than these, our sworn enemies, deserve. For example, yesterday a Gazan described on Facebook how a family living in Bureij in the center of the Gaza Strip received an evacuation warning call for their house in Block 1. As a result, they evacuated the house. After two hours, Israeli intelligence called them again and informed them that there were no planes available to attack the house and that they could return until morning. The tenants returned home. Only the morning after a second evacuation, fighter jets attacked the house… In what war, in what universe do things like this happen?!

Israel is also rebuilding the sewage treatment facilities and the desalinization plants for displaced persons in Gaza. We aren’t doing it just for humanitarian reasons. Parts of Gaza are very close to Israel, and if the sewage is pumped untreated into the sea, it could contaminate the whole coastline of adjoining Israeli cities like Ashkelon, bringing diseases and epidemics across the border.

The operation to eliminate Deif is certainly seen as a turning point in this war. After Hamas leaders riding high for months with U.S. pressure, street rallies worldwide, the International Court of Justice warrants, Sinwar must have thought: piece of cake. But now that Joe has been outed as a senile lame duck and Trump has begun his triumphant march back to the White House, America has other priorities than pressuring Israel, especially since the IDF has shown it isn’t going to begin mass murders of Gazan civilians. The majority of the college encampments have been bulldozed into history, and the college administrators are beginning to pay the piper for their disgusting behavior. Whether or not Deif is dead, Sinwar must realize Israel knew exactly where he was. Deif came up from the tunnels to coordinate the continued attack on Israeli forces, and to rebuild momentum. But now the momentum is on the Israeli side.

Meanwhile, in the North, Nasrallah boldly speaks of Israel “not having enough tanks and ammunition for both Gaza and the north,” an idea based completely on information supplied by our traitorous local media. To this Gallant said today: “The IDF can in an instant switch its main effort to the north. It will be quick, surprising and sharp.”

This is a promise, but also a threat that hangs over us in Israel like a poisonous mushroom cloud.

Yesterday, I met with my grandson’s future bride in a Tel Aviv shopping center to choose some earrings I wanted to buy for her. The mall was packed. People were shopping, eating, behaving totally normally. After we’d tried on a few pairs to match the heirloom pearl necklace she will be wearing at the wedding, we sat down in a café and ordered some smoothies and a dessert called “Nemesis.” I asked her how she was doing. She said fine, but then added: “I’m worried something is going to happen, go wrong.” I was surprised. “What could go so wrong at the wedding?” “Well, the war in the North could start and my parents’ house in Haifa could burn down.”

I imagine all the brides (and grooms) in Israel who have weddings planned in the near future are probably worried about the “instant switch” to all-out war with genocidal Nasrallah, lackey of his Iranian masters who are calling the shots. Such a heartbreaking shame that our young people have to put up with that as well.

We are very tough. Very determined. Very smart. But we are also very small, and we have so very many genocidal enemies. If I didn’t know anything about Jewish history (which is true of the majority of the human race, including my fellow Jews), I would despair. But knowing that this has always been the fate of the Jews, and that God’s hand has always been there ensuring our survival, gives us the strength and courage and determination we need to get through this latest chapter in Jewish history.

If only we didn’t have our people being held hostage and could operate with a free hand! But the reminders, especially the recent photos of the female soldiers who have been held captive for nine months, make it hard to keep going, hard to breathe. Negotiations for their release keep reaching a dead end because there is no one to talk to, no one left in Hamas to make decisions with the actual authority to carry them out. The IDF is back in Gaza City, and this time, they aren’t telling people what neighborhoods are being targeted. They are telling them the whole city is a target.

Sinwar seems to be incommunicado since the attempted elimination of Deif. Sinwar must surely feel the Angel of Death breathing down on him and his children. He is no doubt in the same area as the hostages, so that even if Israel knew where he was, what can they do about it? Bombing Sinwar and killing our girls is not part of the IDF’s goal for this war. We want our hostages back. Alive and well.

But despite the rhetoric used by self-serving Netanyahu haters, and the never ending demonstrations and chants, no one has any idea how that is to be accomplished. I agree with the marchers: the longer time goes on, the less realistic our hostages chances of survival. We in Israel live with that knowledge like a chronic pain in our hearts every single day, day by day, hour by hour.

May the God who loves His people help us.

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