Hamas Has Rejected a Potential Ceasefire Deal Crafted by Egyptian, French, American and Qatari diplomats. Israel was offering a two month, two phase ceasefire. The first thirty day ceasefire would've seen the release of the remaining women, elderly, children and wounded in Hamas' custody while the last thirty day ceasefire would've seen the release of the male solders and the bodies of the deceased hostages. The rejection was apparently due to the demand of Hamas to release more terrorists currently in IDF custody in exchange for the hostages with a number apparently being in 'the thousands.'
According to the report, the terror organization is set to demand an increase in the number of Palestinian terrorists released from Israeli prisons.
www.jpost.com
Wall Street Journal Editorial Piece on the Current Conflict in Gaza and Israel's Progress.
Wall Street Journal said:
Biden Administration restrictions and Israeli caution have slowed the war, but consider that the 2016-17 battle of Mosul against ISIS took nine months. "Mosul," writes John Spencer, chief of urban warfare studies at West Point's Modern War Institute, "was one battle, in one city against 3 to 5k militants with limited defenses. Israel is fighting multiple battles in 7 cities against 30k militants with military grade underground cities built under civilian areas."
Israel needs time to achieve victory, and Hamas is counting on Western powers to deny it that time. The 2009 Gaza war was brought to an end after three weeks, the 2014 war after six weeks. The "CNN strategy" of using human shields to gain media sympathy has worked every time for Hamas.
So far not this time. Oct. 7 was too brutal. This war has passed 120 days, and the U.S. and Europe refuse to call for a cease-fire.
The Editorial continues, stating that Israel claims it has killed, incapacitated or arrested 20,000 of Hamas' 30,000 strong paramilitary force, and destroyed 17 of its 24 Gaza Combat Battalions and that rocket fire overall has been reduced by 95%. While 110 hostages have had their freedom secured, 132 remain in Hamas' captivity.
The editorial goes onto argue that Hamas is still holding out for foreign pressure to bring about a cease fire or other sort of intervention, fearing that once the IDF destroys more of Hamas' paramilitary forces, they will then be able to sweep through Gaza to thoroughly search and destroy hidden or remaining terrorists cells and other infrastructure.
Israel's Untold Gaza Progress - Wall Street Journal via MSN
IDF Offers Long Post of the Work the IDF's Givati Brigade has engaged in during operations in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. This includes establishing a humanitarian evacuation of 120,000 Palestinian civilians from the area in which 500 terrorist suspects were apprehended.
IDF Forces Apparently Took Over the Headquarters of Hamas' Khan Younis HQ as well.
Egypt is Building Another Wall On their Border with Gaza.
Baboons are apparently taking over the ruins of Gaza.
Houthi Fighters Staging a Mock Training Exercise Meant to Simulate Raiding an Israeli Outpost/Kibbutz.