Today the IDF exposed and destroyed "the heart of Hamas' weapons manufacturing industry" above and below ground in central Gaza.
The area was filled with weapons factories and production facilities, along with dozens of tunnel shafts that led to a senior Hamas official’s residence. This video published by the IDF shows the tunnels and ammunition uncovered.
I encourage you to read this new analysis by John Spencer, the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, detailing the immense investment that went into the tunnels and the strategic challenge they pose to the IDF: "The sheer size of Hamas’s underground networks may, once fully discovered, be beyond anything a modern military has ever faced."
Action Needed in the House
An important bipartisan letter is closing tomorrow in the House, opposing the effort by South Africa to charge Israel with "genocide" at the International Court of Justice.
Take 30 seconds now and send a pre-written email to your representative urging them to sign this letter standing with Israel. The same link will send a letter to your senators calling on them to support vital emergency funding for Israel.
Kfir Bibas Turns 1 in Hamas Captivity
Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square holding orange balloons and posters of Kfir Bibas, who turned one year old today in Hamas captivity along with his four-year-old brother Ariel, and his parents Shiri and Yarden.
Shiri’s sister thanked the crowd for "the amazing gestures flooding us since this morning from every direction in the country and from every corner of the world."
Photos and videos were posted across social media with the hash tag #KfirOneYear, which was trending on X.
In Jerusalem, the Knesset and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were illuminated in orange, and at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Israeli President Isaac Herzog held up a picture of Kfir during a speech on stage.
MUST LISTEN
On Sexual violence and…Silence - with Shari Mendes
Dan Senor Call Me Back
Shari Mendes, an IDF reservist who serves in the unit responsible for preparing the bodies of female soldiers in advance of burial, was on the team tasked with opening body bags to identify victims after October 7. She has seen firsthand what many around the world seem to want to ignore. Shari shares her experience in this conversation and discusses the state of Israeli society more than 100 days since the massacre.
Grammy-nominated artist John Ondrasik, known as the lead singer in Five for Fighting, released a new song and music video today paying tribute to the Israeli people as they cope with the devastation of October 7. The song relays a simple message: "We are not OK." Watch and share the video below.
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