Earlier today, an armed man was shot and fatally wounded in a shootout with German police outside the Israeli consulate in Munich.  The consulate was closed for a ceremony to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the 1972 Munich Massacre, in which 11 Israeli Olympic athletes were murdered by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September. No consulate workers were harmed in the incident.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Activities

• Recent days have seen massive shootings by Hezbollah in Israel’s north, including anti-tank rockets. August had more firings from Lebanon than any previous month. There were 30 launches last night; earlier today, over 65 rockets were fired against towns and cities in the country’s north, sparking sirens across the area. The IDF has retaliated by bombing targets in Lebanon.
• A new investigation into the events of October 7 by the IDF Gaza Division has been submitted to the Chief of the General Staff. The report concludes that the number of terrorists and Gazan civilians who invaded Israel on October 7 was far larger than previously thought. The report says that 6,000 Gazans crossed the border that day - about twice what had previously been believed. Of these, 3,800 were members of Hamas' "Nukhba" elite forces. In addition, the report states that around 1,000 terrorists inside Gaza launched 4,300 rockets as a diversion during the invasion. The IDF also found that the border fence was breached in no fewer than 119 locations. after earlier stating that there had been only half that many.

Hostages

• Israelis and Jewish communities around the world were shocked and deeply saddened to awaken on Sunday to an announcement that read, “With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy now.”
• Soon after, the IDF formally announced that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from inside a tunnel in Rafah. The hostages – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Ori Danino– were found with signs of terrible abuse and bullet wounds to their heads, suggesting that they had been executed by their captors at point blank range just days before the IDF reached them.
  • On the same day, three Israeli police officers were murdered in a terrorist attack. One of the victims was the father of a young woman killed on October 7, leaving the family facing a second unbearable tragedy.
  • The terror attack, together with the recovery of the bodies and the funerals of all the victims, has led to an outpouring of grief in Israel, with many calling it the worst day of the war since October 7 itself.
  •  American-Israeli Goldberg-Polin, 23, grew up in California and immigrated to the Jewish State with his family at age seven. Hersh was a nature lover, world traveler, lover of books, seeker of justice, and die-hard Hapoel Jerusalem soccer fan. His mother, Rachel, described him as “energetic, kind, patient, curious, funny, irreverent and pensive.” After partaking in the Simchat Torah festival meal with his family, Hersh and his friend Aner went to the Nova Music Festival. According to eyewitness accounts, Hamas terrorists threw multiple grenades into the bomb shelter where Hersh and other festival-goers were hiding. Hersh hurled seven of these grenades back, demonstrating tremendous bravery while under attack. Hersh’s parents, Jon and Rachel, traveled the globe calling for the release of their only son. Hersh will be remembered as a handsome, charming young man who led an idealistic life and believed in the path of peace and justice. 
  • Read about the other five hostages here.
  • The news about the deaths of the six hostages has spurred huge demonstrations in Israel, calling for the government to make a hostage deal immediately. A general strike was called on Monday by the Histadrut Labor Federation. While it was only partially observed and was quickly ended by a court order, the work stoppage was a clear symbol of the depth of feeling in the Jewish state.
  • In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the government have reiterated the security importance of their firm stance in the negotiations.
  • Yesterday, Hamas released another video showing two of the six hostages who were executed. In the video, Carmel Gat and Alexander Lubanov read a scripted message, presumably filmed shortly before they were killed. In the message, they called on Israel to agree to a deal with Hamas. The family of Eden Yerushalmi, also among the six who were executed, said that when her body was returned, she only weighed 80 pounds, a sign of starvation.
• The US Government is in the final stages of preparing a new compromise proposal that would see a gradual release of hostages and a ceasefire. According to various media reports, the US will present the new arrangement as a final effort, after which it will withdraw from attempts to settle on the sides. Many are calling this the last chance to reach a deal.

International

• The US Justice Department has filed a large-scale lawsuit against Hamas and its leaders for the October 7 attack, citing several counts against the organization and individuals. 
• The United Kingdom announced that it was suspending some thirty of its arms export licenses to Israel (out of 350 licenses), mostly for weapons they say could be used to skirt international laws. Israeli sources insist that the damage to Israeli defenses is not significant. British Foreign Secretary David Lamy clarified that “this is not an arms embargo,” but Israel nevertheless views the decision seriously.
• The Lufthansa Group, which includes Swiss, Austrian, and other airlines, announced that it will resume flights to Tel Aviv starting immediately.

Stories of Heartbreak, Heroism, and Hope

• See this story of 21-year-old Staff Sgt. Ofek Arbib from Bat Yam. A lover of photography, Thai boxing, sports, and hiking, Ofek had dreams of an overseas biking expedition with his father after his army service. Ofek was off duty from his military service when he was at the Nova Musical Festival. He protected his two friends with his body from terrorist gunfire. They were able to escape while he was shot to death. Ofek’s sister wrote, “My revenge will be in the shape of art, in the shape of music you loved all the time…My revenge will be to memorialize your life” 
• Sgt. First Class Dor Mangadi, 24, a police officer in the Coordination of Enforcement Operations Unit from Rosh Ha’ayin, was killed on October 7 while battling the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Be’eri.