Yesterday, in what may have been a mistake, Hizbullah hit civilian trucks with anti-tank guided missiles. The trucks belonged to the Israel Electric Company, Several men were injured, one critically. Up to now, Hizbullah had not knowingly targeted civilians. This could result in a major escalation of the war on Israel’s northern border. The US does not want the war to spread, but a miscalculation can result in things spinning out of control. A strong IDF reaction is likely.
In Gaza, IDF pressure on Hamas continues around the hospitals. A precisely aimed attack killed one Hamas terrorist who had been guarding a large number of Gazan civilians that were being held as human shields. The captives then safely evacuated to the south.
The contrast between Hamas and the IDF was displayed clearly in a photo of some evacuees heading south. IDF soldiers were caught on film handing them bottled water to drink. Israeli soldiers carried some 300 liters of fuel to one of the doors to As-Shifa hospital to ensure the continued supply of electricity for vital medical equipment. The hospital was unable to receive it. According to one report Hamas terrorists got there first and hauled it away.
Hostage release negotiations are still going on. As predicted, Hamas will try to drag them out for even longer. One commentator noted that even if an agreement is reached, when it comes time for the kidnap victims to be brought to a release location Hamas is likely to claim that they cannot locate them because of damage from Israeli air attacks.
The IDF Air Force has been making few attacks on installations in the south of Gaza, possibly because that is where they think the hostages are being held.
CNN now has a competitor for being the top distributor of Hamas fake news. I just watched a France24 commentator display a picture she described as being doctors operating using a cellphone light because the hospital generators were out of fuel. Then, less than a minute later, she showed what was supposed to be a new picture showing doctors at work in the same hospital, and miraculously, the room ceiling lights are all working. Neither CNN nor France24 seem to make any efforts to separate Hamas propaganda from their news reports.
Wetherhorn 