The 151st Day of Israel’s War Against Hamas

Today, the 151st day of Israel’s war against Hamas, the IDF destroyed the largest terror tunnel that was uncovered in northern Gaza since the beginning of the war. The tunnel is about four kilometers long and ends near the Erez crossing but does not cross into Israeli territory per se. It was initially discovered in mid-December of last year. Over the past few weeks, the IDF has been investigating the tunnel, and the route was located and destroyed. The IDF carried out exploration operations of the tunnel route, which reached a maximum depth of about 50 meters. The nearest shaft of the tunnel to Israel is located about 400 meters from the Erez crossing, which has been used for the passage of workers and patients for medical treatment in Israel in recent years.

In the matter of the hostages held by Hamas, it’s spokesperson Basem Naim said on Monday that the terror group did not know which of the hostages were dead or alive. Basem also added that the hostages were held by many terror groups in different locations in the Gaza Strip. According to Basem, a ceasefire is necessary for Hamas to ascertain how many and which hostages it is still holding. The same Hamas official, in an interview with the BBC however, said that the hostages “are in different areas with different groups” and Hamas “have asked for a ceasefire to collect that data [on which hostages are alive and where.]” Continuing the BBC interview, Naim asserted that information relating to the hostages was “valuable” and could not be given “for free.” On Friday, Hamas released a video where they proposed three scenarios regarding the fates of the hostages. In the first, all had been killed, in the second some had been killed and others wounded, and in the third, all were still alive. Bottom line? We don’t know the status of the hostages.

This week the IDF has begun handing out food packages to Gazans in the Khan Yunis area as well as in the southern portion of the strip. This, in advance of the Ramadan observance which begins on March 10th.

Regarding the northern border, US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein was in Lebanon on Monday and is on his way to Israel in his effort to mediate a diplomatic end to the continuing cross border activity between the two countries.

In a rare show of support for Israel’s claims, the UN has now confirmed that rape and sexual torture was inflicted on Israelis both during the massacre of October 7th as well as during their captivity in Gaza. Forensic evidence proved the claim about the events on October 7th and verified reports of released hostages provided sufficiently believable detail on what took place in Gaza after the hostages were interned there.

Future Leadership

Professor Amitai Ziv, MD, MHA, is Deputy Director of the Sheba Medical Center and Director of Sheba’s Rehabilitation Hospital. Prof. Ziv was a veteran combat pilot and instructor in the Israeli Air-Force. He trained as a Pediatrician in Israel (Hebrew University – Hadassah Medical Center) with sub-specialties in Adolescent Medicine (University of Pennsylvania, USA) and in Medical Management, and a Master’s degree (Tel-Aviv University) in Health Administration.

He is a world-renowned expert in the field of medical simulation. He founded the Israel Center for Medical Simulation to lead a nationwide effort to introduce new standards and innovative approaches to health care training and patient safety education. He is also the recipient of national and international awards including the 2007 Charles Bronfman Award for Humanitarian Action and the 2007 Michener Honorary Diploma of Health Science Award for leadership and commitment to applied health sciences.

Prof. Ziv served on the founding editorial board of the Journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). In 2015 he received The Presidential Citation Award on behalf of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) in recognition of his significant contributions for quality and patient safety through the use of simulations and his advancement of the science through his leadership, scholarship and mentorship. Prof. Ziv also served as a member of two WHO Patient Safety Alliance Expert Working Groups on Medical School Patient Safety Curriculum and on Patient Safety Technology.

Prof. Ziv is a Clinical Professor for Medical Education and serves as the Associate Dean at the Sheba Medical Center. He’s also the past Chairman of the Department of Medical Education at the Tel Aviv University Sackler Medical School. He also holds an Adjunct Associate Professor position at Mayo Clinic (Medical Education) and at Case Western Reserve University (Pediatrics).

If Israel is seeking capacity and experience in the field of health care the country needs look no farther than Dr. Amitai Ziv.