Israel Today has a wonderful story by Rolene Marks about Kibbutz Nir Am, whose residents are returning home today after ten months in Tel Aviv’s Herod Hotel. Part of the communities in what is called the Gaza Envelope, and only a mile from Gaza at its nearest point, Nir Am was one of the few communities which on Oct. 7 almost miraculously kept the terrorist onslaught at bay, and saved their entire community. Volunteers are descending on the kibbutz now to paint, fix locks, and generally help residents to set up their homes and community again.

How do they explain how their kibbutz escaped the horrors faced by others nearby? “The terrorists appear to have tried to penetrate a large chicken farm next to Nir Am, possibly mistaking its fence for the kibbutz’s fence,” Ami Rabin, 70, the previous security coordinator of Nir Am, and uncle of his successor, Amit Rabin, told The Times of Israel. Also, the kibbutz’s civil guard immediately got their weapons and got organized when they heard gunshots, killing two of the terrorists and injuring a third. This stopped the onslaught.

“We were alert, prepared and effective, but we were also very fortunate that the thrust of the attempt to penetrate the kibbutz was poorly executed,” says Ami Rabin. Still, the children were traumatized by the entire experience, as well as being uprooted from their homes and school for so long. We are wishing that the bravery that sustained them in war, will help them navigate going back to their homes now that the threat has been neutralized. Welcome home, Nir Am!

Desperate family members of some of the Israelis still being held hostage by Hamas (328 days and counting) broke through a perimeter fence and headed toward the Gaza Strip this morning. Honestly, I feel for them and could imagine doing something similar in their position. IDF officers pleaded with them to stop and turn back before actually entering Gaza and endangering their own lives. The families complied, but say they will be back.

It is said that Sinwar is surrounding himself with dozens of live hostages, using them as human shields in his underground nightmare lair. It’s almost the story of the Minotaur, the Greek legend of the half human, half animal monster inhabiting an underground labyrinth demanding human sacrifices be sent to him each year, seven girls and seven boys. Finally, the Athenian hero Theseus volunteers to go down and destroy him, putting an end to it. All our soldiers are modern day Greek heroes, entering these dark, underground labyrinths created by sick minds and hate-filled imaginations financed by endless billions. What a nightmare! How will we save our children without killing our soldiers? They too are our children.

Among the terrorists recently killed in the West Bank were several who were freed from Israeli jails as part of the November hostage deal because they were minors. Their relatives explained that those freed felt the “obligation” to pay for their freedom by going back to killing Jews. Beware of opening the jails! And most of all, don’t take prisoners.

“This is thanks to our army, they are doing holy work, risking their lives,” Israeli Bedouin hostage Farhan Alkadi said while speaking with President Isaac Herzog following his rescue. An Arab Muslim praising what Israeli soldiers are doing in Gaza, and calling the IDF “our army.” This is a reality you won’t see portrayed by the deceitful mainstream international media, says Israel Today. So true.

After a top echelon discussion yesterday, Defense Minister Gallant said that Israel has to expand the mission of the war to include returning all the residents of the north to their homes: “In the last 11 months, we were attacked from 7 different sectors and we acted against them. In Gaza most of the Hamas brigades and battalions were defeated; the head of the military wing, Muhammad Deif, and a long line of terrorists were killed. This military achievement enables the return of most of the residents to their homes in the Gaza Envelope, and creates the conditions for the return of a large part of the abductees…

“At this time we are also at war against Iran, against Hezbollah and against the Houthis. A month ago, the IDF eliminated Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff. At the beginning of the week, the IDF removed the threat of a heavy attack against the residents of the north and center.”

“But our mission on the northern front is clear – to safely return the residents to their homes… This move will not reduce our absolute commitment to the elimination of Hamas and the return of the abductees.” Expanding the stated goals of the war needs government approval, which Gallant is requesting. Hard to imagine it will be denied.

I saw a cartoon today. It’s a picture of Ali Khamenei talking to two of his terror cronies: “Your job is to coordinate a massive attack on Israel with rockets and drones from Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, besides our own. And your job is to organize ‘peace protests’against Israel and get the UN to pass a ceasefire resolution immediately afterwards.”

Ain’t that the truth!

So hard to watch all this happening and wonder where sanity and justice has disappeared to.

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