Vivian Silver, a Canadian Israeli peace activist who was believed to have been taken hostage to Gaza from her home in southern Israel in Hamas's surprise assault on Oct. 7, was killed in the initial attacks, her family confirmed early Tuesday.
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74-year-old Winnipeg-born Silver founded peace movements Women Wage Peace and Ajeec Nisped, and was a board member of B'Tselem.
The IDF on Monday published a video of its chief spokesperson visiting a hospital in the Gaza Strip and presenting evidence indicating that Israeli hostages were being held at the medical facility at some point.
In the video, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari joins Sayeret 13 special forces and 401st Brigade soldiers at Al Rantisi Hospital in the heart of Gaza City.
Hagari revealed a makeshift area in the basement, seemingly set up hastily as an improvised facility. He also pointed to a paper sheet on the wall that appeared to be a schedule for Hamas operatives assigned to guard the hostages.
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IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari in Al Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
In a Hebrew-language briefing, Hagari said that "Hamas turned the hospital into its terror base and stored weapons there," adding, "We have indicators, also based on intelligence information, that hostages were held at Al Rantisi Hospital during a certain period."
Meanwhile, launches from Lebanon targeting an IDF post near Kibbutz Malkia in northern Israel were detected, the IDF said early Tuesday. One of these launches was intercepted by air defenses, while the others landed in an open area.
In response to the launches from Lebanon toward Israel, IDF fighter jets on Monday night targeted Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon. The military strikes hit several command centers where Hezbollah terrorists were operating.
Earlier, a video of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli researcher kidnapped in Iraq earlier this year during a visit, was released Monday night by her captors, marking the first sign of life since her abduction.
Tsurkov, who also holds Russian citizenship, was visiting Iraq to conduct research for her doctoral dissertation at Princeton University and was reportedly kidnapped by the Iranian-backed militia Katai’b Hezbollah after leaving the Ridha Alwan Cafe in Baghdad's upscale Karrada district.
Ynet has opted not to feature the four-minute video in Hebrew, which appears to be scripted. In the video, Tsurkov discusses her seven-month-long captivity and urges her named family members to help secure her release. Tsurkov also spoke about the war in Gaza, indicating that the video was recorded recently.
The security cabinet on Sunday night approved the closure of the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese al Mayadeen satellite news station in Israel.
This decision aligns with emergency regulations enacted last month, permitting the government to shut down foreign news outlets deemed harmful to national security.
Air defenses on Monday evening intercepted several rockets fired from the Gaza Strip toward central Israel. There were no reports of casualties. Meanwhile, a rocket crashed in a community near the southern city of Ashkelon, causing damage to a residential home and several cars. In this incident too, there were no casualties.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday evening that Hamas has lost control in Gaza as Israeli forces continue ground operations within the Palestinian enclave.
"The IDF is advancing toward every goal. Hamas has lost control in Gaza - terrorists are fleeing south, and civilians are plundering the organization's bases. They have no trust in the government," he said at the end of a situation assessment on Gaza.
"Every day, we are eliminating additional Hamas commanders, dozens and sometimes hundreds of terrorists. In recent days, we have intensified our operations against the tunnels, and this will force the terrorists out of them. There, they will either be eliminated or surrender unconditionally. There is no third option."
Meanwhile, Golani Brigade soldiers have been pictured holding up Israeli flags inside the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza City after conquering the area.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday sent a stern warning to Hezbollah as skirmishes on the Lebanese border continue to escalate, vowing to restore a sense of security to the residents of northern Israel.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Unit 585 troops at the Gaza Strip border
(Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)
"Fire will be met with much mightier fire. [Hezbollah] should not test us, as we have only shown a fraction of our strength," he told Unit 585 troops at the Gaza Strip border.
"We will restore security to the north, and we will restore security to the south. We will bring back security to the State of Israel, but first and foremost, with a victory here - Hamas will be eliminated."
Israel has about two to three weeks to accomplish its military objectives in the Gaza Strip before international pressure to agree to a cease-fire becomes overwhelming, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Monday.
"Politically, we are noticing pressure building on Israel. The pressure is not very high yet, but it is increasing,” he told a press briefing.
“In the talks I am holding, there is an emphasis on the humanitarian aspect. The sympathy and shock over the October 7 massacre are waning. There are also those who are seeking, albeit not publicly, to pursue a cease-fire."
Meanwhile, the IDF said that terrorists launched attacks on multiple sites in northern Israel, prompting a retaliatory response from Israel who targeted the origins of the attacks with artillery strikes. The IDF also targeted launch posts and a terrorist identified as responsible for the launches toward Israel.
Additionally, an IDF tank struck a terrorist cell attempting to fire anti-tank missiles in the vicinity of the northern border community of Shtula.
The Israeli Navy’s Unit for Underwater Missions (Yaltam) has uncovered dozens of munitions in the Gazan maritime region since the beginning of the war, both above and underwater.
IDF Unit for Underwater Missions finds Hamas weapons in Gazan waters
(Video: IDF Spokesman's Unit)
During searches conducted by the Unit for Underwater Missions, a large number of weapons used by the Hamas terrorist organization in their attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory were located in Gazan waters, the IDF said on Monday. Hamas’ attempts were thwarted by Israeli Navy Forces. Among the weapons and military devices found both above and underwater were explosive devices, explosive belts, ammunition and inflatable boats.
In cooperation with the Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit's special forces, the weapons suspected of containing explosives were neutralized.
Meanwhile, Ashraf Al-Kidra, spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Hamas-controlled Gaza, claimed on Monday afternoon that an Israeli tank was stationed at one of the gates of Shifa Hospital. "The tank is outside the gate of the outpatient clinic department" at the hospital in Gaza City, the spokesman said.
Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Gornot HaGalil in northern Israel, two mortar launches that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory were identified by the Israel Defense Forces. The launches fell in open areas. No injuries were reported. IDF artillery is striking the sources of the launches. Later on Monday, there were warning sirens of a drone infiltration in the north, which the IDF later called a false alarm.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired his interior minister, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has claimed that the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Britain since the outbreak of the war had turned into "hate marches." She also accused police of being too soft on left-wing protesters compared to right-wing protesters. Braverman has continued to demand “further action” against pro-Palestine marches, angering fellow members of the Conservative party.
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired his interior minister, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman
(Photo: James Manning/Pool Photo via AP, File)
The Israel Internet Association announced Monday that it has identified and thwarted attempts to carry out cyber attacks against Israeli websites and to deface them using user passwords that were previously leaked to the network. According to the announcement, the attackers tried to flood the sites with Hamas propaganda. The association urged the public not to use the same password for different websites, to activate two-step verification and to strengthen websites with additional security measures.
Israel's political-security cabinet on Monday morning approved the proposal of Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi to issue instructions for actions in accordance with the emergency regulations approved by the government against the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen communications network. According to the emergency regulations, after approval by the Cabinet, the Minister of Communications may issue an order to close offices, confiscate broadcasting equipment and block the use of various communications infrastructures for a broadcasting body that harms the security of the state. The government intends to close the Al-Mayadeen office in the West Bank and confiscate its equipment.
At the same time, the cabinet did not take up the issue of Doha-based Al Jazeera, likely due to the fact that Qatar is highly involved in hostage negotiations.
The Israel Defense Forces early on Monday morning released the names of two soldiers who fell in battle in Gaza: Maj. Isachar Natan, 28, from Kiryat Malachi, 28, and Staff Sgt. Itay Shoham, 21, from Rosh Ha’ayin, who were members of the Commando Brigade. A soldier working in the Oketz canine unit was seriously injured in Gaza on Sunday. The announcement brings to 44 the number of soldiers who have fallen since the start of the ground war in Gaza.
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Maj. Isachar Natan, 28, from Kiryat Malachi, 28, and Staff Sgt. Itay Shoham, 21, from Rosh Ha’ayin
(Photo: IDF Spokesman's Unit)
An American official confirmed that overnight the U.S. bombed two targets in eastern Syria, not far from the Iraqi border, and said that a control center and a weapons depot of the pro-Iranian militias were hit. According to Arab reports, at least one person was killed in the bombings, and the U.S.-based Fox News network reported that the number is six to seven. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said President Joe Biden ordered the attacks to be carried out. "The president has no higher priority than maintaining the safety of American soldiers," he said.
The Lebanese al-Mayadeen network, which is close to Hezbollah, reported early Monday that in response to the U.S. bombings in Syria on Sunday night, 15 artillery shells were fired at the American al-Amr base, east of Deir ez-Zur. According to the report, four Americans were killed in the attack. Other sources reported that the American base al-Shadadi in al-Hasakah was also attacked
The White House said that among the American citizens held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip is a three-year-old girl whose parents were killed in the Hamas surprise attack on October 7, according to the readout of the conversation between U.S. President Joe Biden and the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Biden, according to the statement, "unequivocally condemned the holding of the hostages by Hamas, including many children. The two leaders agreed that all the hostages should be released without further delay."
Meanwhile, a new AP-NORC poll found that almost half of Democrats oppose the way U.S. President Joe Biden is handling Israel's war with Hamas. "The survey found that 50% of Democrats support the way Biden is acting during the conflict, while 46% are opposed - and the two groups are fundamentally divided in their views regarding US support for Israel," the survey noted. "Support for Biden on this issue has dropped slightly since August, as an AP-NORC poll conducted at the time found that 57% of Democrats approved of his actions and 40% disapproved of them.
The European Union on Sunday evening condemned Hamas's use of "hospitals and civilians as human shields" in the Gaza Strip while calling on Israel for "maximum restraint" in order to protect civilians in the ongoing war.
“The European Union is seriously concerned by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” said Josep Borrell, the EU’s head of diplomacy, in a statement.
More than 800 foreign nationals left the Gaza Strip for Egypt Sunday through the Rafah crossing, CNN reported late Sunday, citing an Egyptian border official. According to the Egyptian source, this is the largest number of people who have passed through the crossing in one day, since the evacuations from the Strip began.
The World Health Organization warned late Sunday that the Shifa Hospital in Gaza, where about 2,300 people remain, has already stopped functioning as a medical center. "The situation is dangerous," said the head of the organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Hamas claimed that some of the premature babies being treated at the hospital died as a result of power outages there. The terrorist organization denied the Israeli accusation - which was backed up in the recording - that its terrorists had prevented the transfer of fuel to the hospital the night before and claimed that the amount the IDF was talking about, 300 liters, would not have kept electricity going for very long.
The Shin Bet and the IDF announced Sunday that, since the beginning of the fighting in Gaza, more than 20 Hamas terrorists have been arrested in the heart of the Gaza Strip and brought to Israel for interrogation. It was also reported that the investigations of the terrorist operatives will be used to obtain up-to-date intelligence from the field for the benefit of the continuation of the ground maneuver and for the benefit of the fighting efforts.
First published: 08:32, 11.13.23