October 25, 2023

ITC Update: Operation Iron Swords

Day 19

Wednesday 25.10.23

Northern front: The IDF confirmed a UAV struck two terrorist cells that carried out rocket and mortar shell launches toward IDF posts in Netu’a and Elkosh in northern Israel. IDF tanks and artillery responded toward the sources of the launches. In addition, IDF forces struck an additional terrorist cell that attempted to launch anti-tank missiles toward Israeli territory adjacent to Kibbutz Yiftach.

IDF carried out airstrikes against Syrian military infrastructure and mortar launching positions after Iranian proxy militias in the Syrian Golan fired a total of 5 rockets towards Israel. 3 fell in Syrian territory and 2 landed in Israel.

Southern Front: Rockets continue to be fired from Gaza at cities and communities in southern Israel. Warning sirens are heard in Ashkelon and in the communities of Zikim and Karmiya.

Schools throughout much of Israel will be able to open as normal starting today, including those in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa, but this excludes Ashkelon and the Western Negev, where in-person learning is still forbidden. On the northern border, educational activities may resume in a restricted capacity, inside a sheltered safe room and subject to guidelines of the IDF Northern Command.

All of this is causing much anxiety among parents as according to a report recently published Bottom of Form

some 20 percent of schools in the country do not have adequate shelters for all their students and staff. University classes have been delayed until at least December.

In the last two weeks alone, ITC has:

 worked with ZAKA, Firefighters, the police, providing emotional first aid and self-care tools-

– delivered succinct training to social workers throughout the country to deliver tragic news

-supported municipal teams

-supported the team that evacuated bodies and in an even more difficult task – the team that evacuated the bodies of terrorists

-trained a group of 70 Bedouin physicians in psycho-social tools

-supported hospital teams

-accelerated a program with the Haredi community to create volunteer emergency teams

-created a national center that provides therapy for all those who live in areas where there are no Resilience centers so that they too can get help in dealing with anxiety and trauma

– created training in trauma focused therapy to expand the number of trained therapists

-added 13 new organizations to our partnership expanding our ability to act, respond, and provide care and healing

We also, as always, have the privilege and mission to manage our 12 resilience centers in the south which means that we manage the evacuation, the evacuees, the needs, support the teams, clinicians, and the leadership.

We leave you today with the words of Israeli  Gilad Behat, the chief superintendent of the Israeli police’s investigations, who said ,

“I’ve been in the police service for more than 27 years.  I have been to a lot of terror attack scenes. I’ve seen a lot in my life, many bodies, but never have I seen such sights”.
ITC is working with the police providing  crucial support.

Together, we hold the partnership, each member with their own missions and challenges, but with the common goal of creating responses that will stand the test of time.

The challenges are enormous. We will meet these challenges with your support and help.