October 24, 2023

ITC Update: Operation Iron Sword

Day 18
Tuesday 24.10.23

Two more hostages released, 210 remain in captivity: Two elderly Israeli women Yocheved Lifshitz (85) and Nurit Cooper (79) both from Kibbutz Nir Oz were released last night. However, both their husbands, 85-year-old Amiram and 83-year-old Oded – who were kidnapped along with them – remain in Hamas captivity.

Northern front: Hezbollah continues to target the military and civilian sites close to the border.  Attacks include anti-tank missiles, rockets, and drones.

Southern front: Hamas continue to fire rockets, mainly short-range rockets at the (almost empty) communities closest to the border. This afternoon, a barrage of rockets was fired toward the southern city of Beer Sheva, central Israel and East of Tel Aviv.

IDF Spokesman warns the public not to become complacent amid the relatively slow rate of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in recent days. Most communities have been evacuated, but in some Kibbutzim a small number of members have stayed behind mostly to look after the animals, including volunteers who are looking after the animals at the ITC Animal Assisted Therapy Center. Despite the security threats dairy farmers from across the country traveled south to care for the cows left behind. These cows, which haven’t been milked since the onset of the war, are suffering severe pain

Milking the cows in Kibbutz Meflasim
(Photo: Assaf Kamar)

Yiftach Amir, a grandfather from Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael, said despite the worries from his family, he has no intention of dying; “I don’t have time for that right now. Everything will be okay. We just need to keep milking the cows, and we’ll be alright. Those who milk, those who work, those who tend to the cows, and those who farm will surely prevail.”

Thousands of Israelis have been displaced from the south and the north. With all of Israel’s hotels full there is growing pressure to find those in need with temporary accommodation. It is anticipated that if the war expands, more people will be evacuated. 

French President Macron is the latest leader to visit Israel. He arrived this morning and will meet with French citizens who are relatives of hostages and people who were killed in Hamas’s assault.

ITC on the ground

Work with Bedouin: ITC together with its partners is providing emotional first aid, training in protocol to deliver tragic news, and team support and psychological treatment for victims of trauma in the Bedouin society. A forum has been established for the treatment and support of the victims, families with missing and kidnapped persons. This is in partnership with the welfare bureaus and JDC. The needs are many. The forum will meet once a week.

Work with evacuees from the Gaza Envelope: Witnesses are beginning to speak of their experiences unfiltered, detailing how Hamas terrorists executed these massacres. The acts of violence including torturing children and infants, and sexually assaulting women before they were either shot execution-style or burned alive. This is part of the work of ITC trained therapists to provide emotional first aid, the opportunity to ventilate and to listen. We are also understandably hearing from these survivors, tremendous rage, loss of trust, and hope, in the institutions that were meant to protect them.

There are over 200 hotels and several communities within each hotel. With current government plans for evacuees to remain in hotels until 14/11. Difficulties are beginning to surface – financial anxiety, refusal to vacate rooms, talk in the media about tent cities . It is a pressure cooker that is overflowing.

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