The Latest

• As fighting continues, additional IDF soldiers have been killed, bringing the total to 190 since the ground invasion began, and 524 since October 7. See details of all the fallen soldiers here.
• A terror attack was carried out by two Palestinians in Ra’anana yesterday. A 72-year-old Israeli woman was stabbed to death and 17 others were wounded, several of whom remain in serious condition. The two terrorists, cousins from Hebron, were both apprehended. During the attack, victims were stabbed, their cars stolen, and the vehicles were then used to run down multiple pedestrians.
• Israel's Finance Ministry has estimated that the war is costing the Israeli economy around $270 million per week. Between October - December, 46,000 workers were either fired or put on leave in Israel. About 760,000 workers (18% of the workforce) were unable to work due to: military reserve duty, displacement from their homes, or because they are single parents. 

100 Days Of War: Where Are We Now?

• Most commentators have referred to three main stages of the war:
  • October 7: This happened before the first stage even began. The pre-war stage saw the terrible massacres and continued for several days as the IDF battled the terrorists inside Israeli towns and communities.
  • Stage 1: The first part of the actual war, which saw weeks of targeted bombing by the IDF aimed at destroying some of Hamas' infrastructure, weapons, and tunnels.
  • Stage 2: The ground war, in which Israeli troops entered Gaza in late October to systematically find and destroy Hamas' fighting capabilities.
    • In the first part of Stage 2, troops entered the northern half of the Strip, including Gaza City itself. This mission has largely been completed, and it is estimated that more than half of IDF troops in the area have now left the north of the Strip.
    • In the second part of Stage 2, troops are currently focusing on fighting in the central and southern parts of the Strip, especially in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.
  • More than 22,000 Hamas sites have been hit in the first two stages. 9,000 Hamas fighters have been killed including two of Hamas’s five brigade-level commanders; and 19 battalion-level commanders (out of a total of 24 battalions).
  • Despite those successes, Hamas’s top leadership in Gaza remains at large.
  • While fighting continues in some parts, including significant battles, from all reports, the intense battles of Stage 2 are drawing to a close and will likely be completed by the end of January.
  • Stage 3: The third stage of the war, which could well last throughout 2024, is starting to take shape. It will likely involve:
    • Lower-intensity fighting (this is already happening in the north of Gaza)
    • The release of significant numbers of Israeli reservists (this is already well underway)
    • Significant anti-insurgency efforts
    • Efforts to find Hamas' top leaders
    • Attempts to secure the remaining hostages
    • The return of Israeli evacuees in the south to their communities, including rebuilding. (This too, is already happening).
  • More than 1,300 Israelis have been killed since October 7, including 522 IDF soldiers. More than 11,000 have been injured.

What's Next for Gaza?

• We know that intense efforts are underway to lock in a new deal. Mediation is being led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US. Many factors could go into a new deal including:
  • The return of the hostages
  • The return of bodies, from both sides
  • The release of Hamas prisoners
  • An extended cease-fire
  • Increased aid and other shipments into Gaza
  • The negotiated exile of top Hamas leaders
  • Permission by the IDF for Gazans to return to the northern half of the Strip

Rockets

• Hamas rocket attacks on Israel have been reduced to a few per day as the fighting has severely restricted Hamas activities. Rockets and launchers have been found and destroyed. Nonetheless, an unusually large barrage of 50 rockets was fired at Israel’s south earlier today; the volley caused damage, but no injuries as the cities were they fell had mostly been evacuated. 
• In the north, Hezbollah has been slowly increasing its level of rocket and other fire against Israeli targets. Fourteen Israelis have been killed by Hezbollah attacks, and 42 communities remain evacuated. The US and others continue to search for a solution that will avoid an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah. Such an agreement could see Hezbollah forces moved away from the border region with Israel, to north of Lebanon's Litani River.
• In the Red Sea, the United States and the United Kingdom's militaries continue to shoot down missiles and UAVs fired at Israel and commercial shipping vessels by Iran-back Houthi rebels in Yemen. They are also attacking Houthi bases in Yemen itself.

Hostages

• In what Israel describes as “cruel, psychological warfare,” on Sunday, Hamas released a video depicting three hostages who call on Israel to halt its war in Gaza. The three are Noa Argamani, 26, who was seen in a video on October 7 being carried off on a motorcycle, Itay Svirsky, 38, who was kidnapped on October 7 as his parents were murdered, and Yossi Sharabi, 53. At the end of the video, a caption reads: “Tomorrow you will know which of them is alive and who is dead.” As always, Israeli media did not air the footage, but did describe the video. Yesterday, Hamas released a follow-up video where Noa Argamani announces that Itay Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi have been killed--presumably executed by Hamas. There is no independent confirmation of the killings.
• It is believed that 132 hostages remain in Gaza. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 25 of them, citing intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza and elsewhere. Hamas has also been holding the remains of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

International Response

• The hearing at the International Court of Justice continues. Some background on the issues:
  • Urban warfare expert Major John Spencer has explained that combat in urban terrain is the “most complex and difficult type of warfare a military can be directed to conduct because of the unique interaction of challenges - the dense physical terrain, the presence of noncombatants, restraints on the use of force required by laws of war, and the ubiquitous and real-time global attention on the conduct of a battle.”
  • He added that this is the first war in history in which a military has faced an “underground world like this,” referring to the 300-mile-long tunnel system Hamas built for terror purposes under civilian infrastructure. He stated,  “There’s no military in the world that has faced the challenge Israel is facing right now in the war against Hamas.”
  • Due to the operational challenges urban warfare poses and the intricate tunnel system, fighting in these conditions can require four times as much ammunition, or even more, than in other combat environments.
  • Hamas prevents civilian evacuations, often through gunfire. Coalition fighters faced similar challenges when fighting ISIS in the Battle of Mosul. In that battle, it is estimated that 10,000 civilians were killed. Israel is facing at least six times as many Hamas operatives as ISIS fighters.
  • Colonel Richard Kemp, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan under the British army, explained that the fight against Hamas is likely even more challenging, due to Hamas’s tactics over the past three decades turning a small strip of territory into a terror base.
  • Throughout the war, the IDF has applied tactics to minimize civilian casualty in urban warfare settings, which include dropping 6 million leaflets and issuing 14 million pre-recorded phone calls urging civilians to evacuate ahead of attacks, setting up safe corridors, and involving legal advisors in tactical decisions. Former Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force and international law expert Michael Schmitt explained that “The IDF has provided unprecedented warnings throughout the conflict,” which have “exceeded what the law required.”
  • On Thursday, State Department spokesman Matt Miller said, “Israel is operating in an exceptionally challenging environment in Gaza, an urban battlespace where Hamas intentionally embeds itself with and hides behind civilians.” He added “Allegations that Israel is committing genocide are unfounded. It is those who are violently attacking Israel who continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews.”

Stories Of Heartbreak, Heroism, and Hope

• Israel readies for the possibility of pregnancies among female hostages raped by Hamas
• Daniel Perez's absence felt at his brother's wedding after being taken captive.
• Read the story of 67-year-old Orly and David Schvartzman from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. David worked as an agritech activist and investor and Orly worked as a nursing director at a clinic in the south. The two built a home that was “full of love and family,” with a backyard blooming with flowers and herbs, that was often visited by their four children and ten grandchildren. On October 7, the couple and their dog were slain by Hamas terrorists, and their home and garden were destroyed.
• Sgt. Reem Batito, 19: Warrior who ‘fought until his last moment’
• IDF Staff Sgt. Tomer Mizrahi fought against a large number of terrorists on October 7, along with his commander, Roy, who was injured by sniper fire, and his friend, Roni. Roni was saved by Tomer, who shielded him from gunfire. Tomer and Roni dragged their injured commander and protected him from capture. Both Roy and Tomer died in battle, but not before alerting the support team at the base, lookouts, and people of Kibbutz Sufa about the outbreak of the war, thus preventing many additional casualties. Tomer's mother, Sarit, is an academic scholar of Talmud and Law and has begun writing a weekly Dvar Torah in memory of her son; it is now being published in English as well. Click here to join a Whatsapp group to receive the publication weekly.

Further Reading

• Let Israel finish the job
• Time Magazine: For Antony Blinken, the War in Gaza Is a Test of U.S. Power
• IDF's tech weapons evolution reveals innovative ammunition in the Hamas war

Jewish Federations’ Resources

• Jewish Federations’ Israel Emergency Campaign has now raised a total of $768 million system-wide; and has allocated nearly $283 million to a wide range of humanitarian organizations in Israel. See a detailed update on allocations here.
• Jewish Federations’, 10/7 Project is a collaboration with AJC, AIPAC, ADL, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The 10/7 Project is an organized effort to counter the disinformation about the attacks of October 7th and Israel’s response, especially aimed at the key media and government influencers. See here for more information about the 10/7 project, as well as this news bulletin.
• Resources: Readers can see links to resources, background, research, and other information on the current war here; can access a Jewish Federations toolkit here, and can refer to the Community Mobilization Center Resource Hub for the latest talking points and tools. 
• See these additional resources by Jewish Federations that give insight into some areas of Federations’ emergency allocations:
  • Volunteers
  • Women
  • Pastoral Guidance
  • Bedouin Communities
  • Food Security
  • People with Disabilities
• Details: For information on the latest overall numbers from the conflict, see here.
• Webinar: The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI): Daily webinars sponsored by Jewish Federations and the Jewish Agency are offered. A rotating team of analysts of Israeli military affairs, the US-Israel relationship, Israel’s political system, and the country’s diverse society will speak every Sunday to Thursday from 11-11:30 am ET. No registration is required. Join here.
• Volunteering: Read this updated Jewish Federations update on the latest volunteering opportunities in Israel right now.
• Local Authorities: Jewish Federations have produced a document answering questions about funding-impacted localities and municipalities in Israel. See here. 
• Read the latest communication from the Community Mobilization Center here.
• Previous updates can be found here.

Jewish Federations
Our Israel Office, having activated emergency protocols, is working closely with our partners on the ground, and is in close contact with the Government of Israel and the IDF. We will continue to update as the situation develops.

For more information, please contact: JFNA’s Dani Wassner dani.wassner@jewishfederations.org