The arrest of the Jewish spy ring in Israel, which, among other crimes, helped to murder our young soldiers in Benyamina, continues to enrage Israelis. This morning, Alex Nemirovsky, who heads the interrogation team of Lahav 433, described the interviews held with the despicable spies. “They did it for greed, for the money. Today, anyone who has an iPhone or a camera is a potential spy. At the beginning they tried to minimize their part, to hide the nature of their activities. But the more we continued the investigation, presenting them with proofs from their personal computers – including photographs and correspondence with their Iranian handlers – they broke and confessed. They admit: “We knew what we were doing. We swallowed the frog and continued with the work in the knowledge that we were helping Iran.”

On their radar was a high level person in the security establishment: “The gathering of information on this person was almost completed, which is why we arrested them. We understood that they were not just after this person but her children as well. Their activities went beyond just gathering information on strategic targets but also an attempt to harm this high level person. After October 7, to my sorrow, we are witness to numerous attempts by our enemies to infiltrate our country by drafting Israeli citizens who can work for the Iranians and their proxies.”

One of the reader reactions to this article elicited the following response, to which I wholeheartedly agree: “Hang them in the town square and stone them!… Treason has no forgiveness.”

The IDF Arabic spokesman says that signs of cracks are appearing among Hamas terrorists, as many surrender to IDF troops who are supervising the exodus of Gazans from Jabaliya in north Gaza. Among the crowds leaving are embedded terrorists, who have been discovered and arrested, while others willingly present themselves for arrest. The IDF has moved on to the evacuation of Beit Lahia, also in the north of Gaza, showering the population with leaflets instructing them on how to leave. This followed a night of continuous artillery fire.

Corporal Shai Gilboa, an IDF medic in the 9^th Battalion, who was photographed tending to the wounds of a Gazan woman, says many Gazans are being shot by Hamas when trying to flee the combat zones in northern Gaza. “Not only are they not afraid of us, but many are on Israel’s side and openly curse Hamas,” she says. “Our battalion went into action to exert as much military pressure as possible on Hamas terrorists, who held the civilian population in the area and forbade them from evacuating to a safe area. Those wounded while fleeing by Hamas “came to us and we provided them with the first aid in the field… stopping the bleeding.” They were then directed towards “local medical forces” for further treatment. Thousands of Hamas terrorists are believed to be hiding among tens of thousands of residents in the area.

Okay, but my sympathy is limited. They, after all, elected Hamas and rejoiced on October 7. Let’s not forget this too quickly. Now, when they need something, they smile and wave. But many Israelis, including myself, believe that Gazans must be forced to pay a territorial price for this war and lose substantial areas of Gaza forever. Many are in favor of Jewish resettlement of Gaza. Otherwise, these same Gazans we are treating for Hamas wounds and to whom we are giving out candy will support another terror organization. But this is a political decision, and would take great political foresight and courage to enact, which I am not convinced our leadership possesses at this time, even though MK Betzalel Smotrich insists Israel will again settle Gaza and make it flourish … “because it’s our land.” We’ll see.

This morning, we found ourselves once again in our bomb shelter when a drone attacked nearby Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael. There were no injuries, although one home was badly damaged. The owner praised the effectiveness of the bomb shelter and advised others to protect themselves during rocket fire by following the instructions of the Civil Command.

Unemployment among refugees from Israel’s north is very high. According to a recent survey, before the war 67 percent of refugees from the north were full-time employees in salaried positions, 17 percent were part-time employees, and 13 percent self-employed. Now, only 39 percent of refugees are full time employees, and 32 percent of all refugees are unemployed. Only 22 percent said their income has undergone no change, while 70 percent have seen a drop. Attorney Tali Nir who has founded the 710 Organization to help those affected by the war, has said that this proves the vital need for intervention to help those so badly affected. Most worrying, is that 70 percent of refugees are not certain they will return to their homes and lives in the north after the war.

Israel’s Chief of Staff is photographed walking openly outside in southern Lebanon, proof of how safe the area is now. We, on the other hand, in my little town of Zichron Ya’akov just spent an hour in the bomb shelter as an enemy drone wandered in the sky above us and our Air Force tried in vain to shoot it down. In the end, it disappeared, perhaps running out of fuel. In any case, no one was hurt. This is the way we live now in Israel. Still, no comparison to the desperate situation our neighbors now face. They have only themselves to blame.

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