How Do You Say, 'It's Over' in the King's English?

Townhall 

Last time, British Jews were thrown out. This time hopefully they will leave on their own.

King Edward expelled the Jews from England in 1290. 3,000 Jews left. They were officially allowed to return in 1656. For over 300 years England was Judenrein. Apparently England is heading to its second period without Jews.

The attack in Manchester on Yom Kippur says pretty much everything about modern England. The murderer was named Jihad. What a surprise. Just like the Arab kid we met in the hospital who was born around January, 2002 and was named Osama. Strange how that works. Jihad came to England from Syria at age 3. In the past, he and his family would never have been allowed into the country. In the more recent past, maybe they would have anglicized his name, something like Johnihad. But no, he came in, was never reformed (his father was on record praising the October 7th attacks), and was out on bail for a rape charge. In typical British fashion, the terrorist killed one, and an incompetent British cop killed another Jew. Not having a Second Amendment has consequences. If the congregants had been armed, they could have dropped the lunatic in a second. If the police had understood which end of the gun to hold, maybe one more Jew would still be in this world.

The attack in Manchester may well be the Kristallnacht event for British Jewry. My father remembered the out-of-town brownshirts arriving in Forchheim before blowing up the local synagogue. 1,400 synagogues were destroyed in Germany and Austria, while thousands of Jewish businesses were attacked. A few dozen Jews were murdered and 26,000 men were taken to concentration camps, including one Anton Bauer—the grandfather of this author. My father spent a night in jail with his mother. And then the Bauers started the long process of getting out of Germany.

The key feature of Kristallnacht was the lack of any serious response from other countries. Certainly, there were denunciations and official complaints lodged, but the Germans learned that they could do anything they wanted to the Jews and nobody would go to war about it or harm Germany economically. This was no surprise as the July, 1938 Evian Conference led to no increase in Jewish immigration to other countries. As Josef Goebbels wrote in his diary, “It is the first time in history that countries of the world have refused to take in geniuses.”

The Germans knew that they could wipe out German Jewry with no threat of other countries interfering or fighting over it. And Hitler and his cabal were right. Sure, the Allies went to war with Germany, but they noticeably did nothing to stop the activities surrounding the mass murder of the Jews. There was no effort to bomb the concentration camps or the train lines leading to them. Henry Morgenthau pointed a finger at the State Department and British Foreign Office for letting the Jews die.

So there was an attack in Manchester. Shortly thereafter, there were protests in favor of the terrorist in Manchester and London. Keir Starmer, whose wife just happens to be Jewish, whipped on a kippah and made his way to a synagogue on Yom Kippur. It’s a shame that nobody offered him a full package deal including a circumcision. His actions were meaningless, and British Jews now know that they are alone. The officials have thrown their lot with Jihad and his friends and will be happy to condemn any attack and attend any necessary funerals. They will do nothing to actually protect their Jews. And as such, I need to buy property here in Israel before the next big wave of British Jews arrives. Over 50% say that they have no future in England. Just under 50% say that Jews have no future in Europe.

When Frau Dr. Merkel and her comrades of the period decided to fast-track entry of Jew/Christian/West-hating Muslims, they made some very simple calculations. Their populations were not having babies, and to keep the lights on in the factories they needed 25 year old males pronto. They knew that the people there were bringing in hated Jews, Israel and all things Jewish. But they felt that it was a worthwhile tradeoff. It’s like your having ten kids. You decide to get a dog. You, your wife and nine of the kids love it. But there is that one child who is allergic to dogs. You decide that his issues are small potatoes when weighed against the greater good. So they brought in millions of Jew-hating Muslims. They made no effort to make them Germans, Dutch, French or Brits. They let their hatred fester. So they threw some cops on the Jewish schools and synagogues. But, like Covid, the hatred grew and mutated. They began to openly express their hatred for the countries that gave them a new life, homes, money and freedoms they never knew back in Dumpistan. Now, there is no stopping the Muslim takeover of Europe, and the Jews are the first target. Even the moron Starmer said that after they finish with the Jews, they’ll go after the Christians. So why aren’t they throwing them out left and right? Because officialdom has already surrendered.

The reason why Churchill’s England held out against the Nazis was because they valued their country and its way of life. They understood that if they gave up to the Germans either through negotiations (Hitler’s preferred method) or invasion (Operation Sea Lion), then their England would be over. They fought, lost nearly 400,000 men in the war, and almost starved as Doenitz’s U boats sank their food shipments at sea. But they did not give up. Today’s England stands for….what? For trans? For climate change? For the demise of Christianity? For a feckless king who praises his Christian-hating Muslim subjects? Sure, there are many patriots as Tommy Robinson’s recent 3 million person strong showing proves. But the ones holding the levers of power don’t believe in England, they don’t believe in Christianity, they don’t believe in a country that has given much of what we have today, and they don’t believe in a country that revolutionized its colonial holdings. So when one side believes in making a Sharia state while the other side believes in absolutely nothing, then the betting money goes with the newcomers.

And the Jews will be the first sacrifice to the new Islamic state. Just as an army sets up multiple layers of defense, it’s assumed that the first one will be overrun and maybe the second or third will stop the enemy cold. The Jews have no support from their official institutions or the government. Showing up in a kippah—they should have kicked Starmer out of the synagogue and told him to go to a celebratory mosque. We don’t need memorials; we need proactive protection, the best step being kicking out hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who hate England—as well as its Jews.

Jews are the canary in the coal mine. Every country that lost its Jews went down the toilet. Look at the Arab countries that threw out their Jews. Is Iraq or Syria better today than it was in the 1940s? Jews love their home countries, and that is why so many German Jews died rather than leave. British Jews will have to decide if it’s worth the risk to remain in cities where the local Muslim populations openly express their desire to kill them. It’s not trivial to leave a country where one’s family has lived for generations, but self-preservation has a way of changing one’s calculations pretty quickly. I know that there was an ancestor Samuel Bauer in Emreuth in the 1500s. By 1940, there were no more of these Bauers in Germany. The same may well happen in England.

Podcast thread for Oct 6

 

Fear only gets to you if you let it.

The Shell Game Behind the Shutdown

American  Thinker 

The government shutdown drama unfolding in Washington is political theater covering up something far worse.  While legislators argue over budget details, they’re ignoring an uncomfortable truth: Congress has already surrendered its most important power — the power to control spending — and the bill has arrived.

That bill totals $170 billion over the next decade.

This isn’t money Congress approved.  It’s money the Executive Branch simply decided to spend, creating mandatory costs through administrative decisions that lawmakers are now forced to fund.  How?  By strategically expanding “parole” authority under immigration law to reclassify millions of people, instantly making them eligible for federal benefits Congress never authorized.

The Parole Loophole

The whole system turns on a single phrase: “lawfully present.”  Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Department of Homeland Security can “parole” non-citizens into the country temporarily.  The magic number is one year — parole someone for a year or more, and federal law labels them “lawfully present,” opening the door to federal benefits.

By the end of 2024, the administration had implemented 605 immigration-related executive actions, according to the Migration Policy Institute.  Critics say this was deliberate: Administratively expand who qualifies for benefits without asking Congress.  Millions who entered illegally were transformed, through bureaucratic paperwork, into people with legal claims on taxpayer-funded programs.

Three Ways the Money Drains Out

The financial damage hits through three channels, draining resources at federal, state, and local levels.

1. Health Care Subsidies

The biggest cost flows through the Affordable Care Act.  People classified as “lawfully present” become eligible for ACA marketplace plans, including premium tax credits and cost-sharing help — subsidies paid entirely by federal taxpayers.  Congressional Budget Office analysis reveals that cutting off this population’s ACA access would save roughly $124 billion between 2025 and 2034.  That’s $124 billion the government will spend insuring people whose eligibility comes solely from an executive decision.

Nearly 550,000 people earning below the poverty line are enrolled in subsidized marketplace plans.  Most are “lawfully present” immigrants who can’t get Medicaid because of their immigration status, often because they’re in the mandatory five-year waiting period.  Proposed laws to tighten eligibility would result in about 1.4 million lawfully present immigrants losing health coverage across all federal programs.

2. Emergency Medical Care

Federal law requires states to provide emergency Medicaid coverage to people who would otherwise qualify except for their immigration status.  This includes both those here illegally and those in waiting periods.  The CBO’s October 2024 letter to the House Budget Committee laid out the damage: Between 2017 and 2023, federal and state governments spent a combined $26.554 billion on emergency medical services for this group — $18.038 billion federal, $8.516 billion state.

The spending pattern tells the story.  The sharpest increases happened from 2021 forward, matching exactly when arrivals surged.  Emergency rooms can’t turn patients away, but someone has to pay.  That someone is the taxpayer.

3. State and Local Costs

Beyond health care, cities and towns face crushing obligations.  A June 2025 CBO analysis found that in 2023 alone, direct spending increases — mostly for K–12 education, shelter, and related services — hit $19.3 billion.  After accounting for new tax revenue from this population ($10.1 billion), the net cost to state and local governments reached $9.2 billion in just one year.

These aren’t optional expenses.  Schools must educate children who show up.  Shelters must house families.  Social services must respond to emergencies.  Local budgets absorb the hit while waiting for federal money that rarely covers actual costs.

The Rhetorical Shell Game

Here’s where political messaging becomes Orwellian.  Democrat leadership insists that “Federal law prohibits the expenditure of taxpayer dollars on providing health care to undocumented immigrants” and claims that Democrats have no interest in changing that law.  Technically true.  Politically deceptive.

The sleight of hand lies in the word “undocumented.”  By administratively reclassifying millions who entered illegally as “lawfully present” through expanded parole authority, the previous administration ensured that these individuals are no longer categorized as “undocumented immigrants” — even though they entered illegally and would have been denied entry under traditional enforcement.

Democrats can claim with a straight face that they’re not spending taxpayer money on “undocumented immigrants” because the administration already changed their documentation status through executive action.  The people receiving $124 billion in ACA subsidies aren’t “undocumented”; they’re “lawfully present.”  Never mind that this status was created by bureaucratic reclassification rather than the legal immigration process Congress designed.

When Republicans demand an end to taxpayer funding for benefits to illegal aliens, Democrats respond that no such funding exists — because the aliens in question have been administratively redefined.  They already changed the practical effect of federal law through executive classification, and now they’re defending that accomplished change as the status quo Congress intended.

The Republican position isn’t about changing immigration law.  It’s about refusing to fund the fiscal consequences of administrative decisions that circumvented immigration law.  When the Trump administration won’t continue funding these obligations, Democrats frame this as Republicans “shutting down the government” and “inflicting pain on American citizens.”

But that framing turns reality upside-down.  The pain inflicted on American citizens — the $170 billion diverted from veterans, infrastructure, and genuine domestic priorities — already occurred when the prior administration created these obligations without congressional approval.  The current administration is simply refusing to continue funding a constitutional violation.

The Common Sense Test

The political vitriol directed at the current administration has obliterated basic reasoning.  Strip away the partisan fury and ask: Did anyone with common sense believe there would be no consequences for allowing unprecedented numbers of illegal aliens into the country — while the previous administration insisted the border was secure?

The numbers don’t lie.  The prior administration implemented 605 immigration-related executive actions while claiming that border security was under control.  Millions entered illegally, were reclassified as “lawfully present,” and became eligible for federal benefits.  The fiscal consequences — $170 billion and counting — were entirely predictable.

Yet pointing out this reality gets labeled as extremism.  The MAGA movement’s core insight wasn’t radical: Actions have consequences, open borders cost money, and governments should prioritize their own legal citizens.

The America First Response

These expenditures represent an outrageous misuse of limited resources.  The “America First” view sees every dollar spent on this administratively created group as a dollar taken from citizens in need: veterans dealing with homelessness and PTSD while waiting months for V.A. care, service members and their families who must rely on private charities like Tunnels to Towers to get support their own government should provide, working families crushed by inflation, seniors watching their savings disappear, homeless Americans sleeping on streets.

This perspective flips the question: What justifies spending $170 billion on people whose eligibility was created by executive paperwork while legal citizens — including immigrants who came here the right way — suffer?  When does putting legal citizens first stop being discrimination and become basic responsibility?

Taking Back Control

Congress must reclaim the constitutional authority it surrendered.  The scope of discretionary powers like parole must be clearly limited, with explicit legal language requiring congressional approval before any status change that triggers federal benefits.

The $170 billion now straining federal, state, and local budgets is the cost of congressional surrender to executive overreach.  The question is whether lawmakers will fight to reclaim what they’ve lost, or whether this becomes the new normal: executives spending, Congress scrambling to fund obligations it never approved, and taxpayers stuck with the bill.

Armchair Generals and Diplomatic Gasbags Seek War

American  Thinker 

Among the arguments of those who seem to be pushing for expanded war with the Russian Federation, one of the strangest is that Russia is a weak, third-world country and a “paper tiger.”  Those who make this argument point to the protracted three-year conflict in Ukraine and scoff at the Russians’ inability to subjugate a much weaker adversary.  These same voices usually ignore America’s ten-year war in Iraq and twenty-year war in Afghanistan, even though both wars cost Americans much and accomplished far fewer strategic objectives than Americans were promised.  

Russia has chosen to execute a war of attrition that wears down Ukrainians’ will to fight.  At the same time, it has refrained from unleashing destruction on the scale of Dresden or Hiroshima that might trigger a wider U.S.-NATO response.  Three and a half years into the war, the Ukrainian people are  for the conflict to end.  So far, the war has been primarily limited to the territories of Russia and Ukraine.  From Russia’s point of view, Putin is threading the needle.

What is particularly discordant about calling Russia a “paper tiger” is that so many of the people who make this assertion simultaneously warn that Russia is preparing to conquer all of Europe.  In one breath, Senator Lindsey Graham, special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, or former secretary of State Hillary Clinton describes Russia as a backward country whose nuclear capabilities pose little threat to the United States.  In the next breath, these same voices argue that Russia intends to reconstruct the Soviet Union and envassal the nations of Europe.  Online commenters mock the Russian bear as having no real teeth but then insist that France and Germany will soon see Russian tanks in the streets.  

It is true that Russia has a smaller population than the United States or the combined countries of the European Union.  With a hundred and fifty million citizens, though, it is still one of the largest nations — by population — in the world.  By landmass, Russia controls nearly twice as much territory as the second largest country, Canada.  For centuries, Japan, China, France, the Turkish Empire, and the United Kingdom have attempted to take parts of Russia for their own, yet Russia has endured.  Even after a century of suicidal communism and post–Cold War chaos, the Russian people share a common identity that is as strong as anywhere else in the world.  Russia is a nation of people who actually define themselves by their ability to endure hardship.  While “woke” Westerners cry about pronouns and celebrate victimhood, most Russians are preparing for prolonged war.

Those who belittle Russia as no real threat to the superior military of the United States often dismiss its .  With as many warheads as the U.S. and the capability to deploy them by air, land, and sea, Russia remains a deadly foe, regardless of its relatively low per capita GDP.  Russia’s new  intermediate-range ballistic missile can reportedly deliver six warheads (each containing six submunitions) at speeds exceeding Mach 10.  Although Western analysts have a range of views regarding the Oreshnik’s effectiveness, it is a hypersonic weapon potentially capable of reaching all of Europe without interception.

Those who do not fear the fallout of a U.S.-Russia war seem to think Russia would be foolish to use nuclear weapons because doing so would guarantee its annihilation.  For those who think this way, I would pose this question: If American sovereignty were one day threatened, would we refrain from using nuclear weapons?  

Such a scenario might seem unrealistic right now, but our world is rapidly reshaping into a multipolar one.  India (our ally/competitor) and China (our adversary/enemy) are home to three billion citizens.  Should those two countries put aside their historic differences and ally against the United States in the coming decades, the size of our military forces might be small by comparison.  

Although the U.S.-controlled financial system has given America the wealth to exert power across the globe, there may come a day when that same system crashes and we find ourselves in economic straits.  Whereas China and India have grown their industrial and manufacturing sectors over the last three decades, the U.S. has offshored its most critical industries.  We are now reliant upon those who will one day challenge American hegemony.

It is not so difficult to imagine a time when America’s lethal military infrastructure remains the only deterrent keeping predators at bay.  If America were ever pushed into a corner and its existence were at stake, would we hesitate to use the worst weapons in our arsenal to beat back those who threaten us?  And if we would use them under duress, why would we expect any less from the Russian Federation?

There is an idea that has long been discussed in the august lecture halls of the West’s diplomatic houses.  It concerns a desire to break Russia into a dozen separate nations.  Using the same “divide and rule” tactics and strategies that have been employed since ancient times, the West would like nothing more than to foment public rebellion inside Russia.  Pulling such a mission off would be the magnum opus among the West’s numerous information warfare-driven “color revolutions” this century.  Dissolving Russia into a dozen states would allow the United States and the European Union to play them off each other, exploit their natural resources, and keep them geopolitically weak.  Every few years, some retired head of state or diplomatic heavyweight has one too many glasses of wine and acknowledges that a post-Putin world provides the ideal opportunity to carve up all of Russia.

What would we do if our enemies were so bold as to begin carving up the lands of the United States?  I suspect that many of us would fight to the death.  We should expect the Russian people — who view themselves as part of a historic civilization — to do the same.

I have become less optimistic that war with Russia can be prevented — primarily because U.S., European, and Russian officials all appear to be confirming that things will get worse.  Speaking from a summit in Copenhagen days ago, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán warned that “the E.U. has decided to go to war” against Russia.  Elaborating, Orbán described the situation as “serious” and said that “outright pro-war proposals” are being quickly advanced.  

Meanwhile, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen accuses Russia of using drones, sabotage, and hybrid warfare to divide Europe and describes Russia as Europe’s “primary enemy.”  European politicians are hyperventilating so much about phantom Russian drones that Munich’s airport even shut down because some people saw mysterious lights in the sky.  European leaders are shoveling paranoia and hysteria to the public on an industrial scale (while “green”-energy regulations kill the rest of their industries).

Speaking at the Valdai International Discussion Club last week, Russian president Vladimir Putin said Europe’s “ruling elites ... continue to whip up hysteria” and stated soberly that “all NATO countries are fighting us, and they’re no longer hiding it.”  He mocked the idea that Russia had any intention of attacking NATO but assured listeners that Russia is prepared for a larger war.  

Similarly, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov recently observed, “NATO and the European Union ... have already declared a real war on my country and are directly participating in it.”

Finally, Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin — a man whom some call “Putin’s brain” — recently penned an essay in which he concluded that “we cannot avoid a big world war,” that “monstrous trials await mankind,” and that what’s happening “now will seem like child’s play compared to what is ahead.”

Europe wants war.  Russia is ready for war.  War it will be.

You Can Draw a Direct Line From the Failures of Obamacare to Today's Schumer Shutdown

 

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File

Amy Curtis  | October 06, 2025 | Townhall

As the Schumer Shutdown enters its sixth day, the fight over healthcare continues. 

Democrats want to give illegal immigrants healthcare, and Republicans, rightly, do not. Democrats have admitted as much, too. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said, "Democrats are demanding healthcare for everybody. We want to save lives. We want to make sure healthcare is available to those who would die."

Shri Thander (D-MI), said of illegal immigrant subsidies, "If that means we gotta shut this government down, so be it" and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) admitted, "The amount of money that actually is going towards people who are undocumented is such a small portion" that Americans should be fine with forking over their tax dollars.

It's important to draw a distinction between health insurance and health care. Both are expensive, but Democrats play semantic games that equate having health insurance to having access to health care; they are not the same. The problem here is that Democrats, thanks to the Orwellian-named Affordable Care Act (a/k/a Obamacare), have made health insurance far worse and incredibly expensive.

People have known this for almost two decades, after they saw their good, affordable insurance plans outlawed and replaced by expensive plans with fewer benefits. Democrats forced Obamacare down our throats without Republican votes, but they've spent the last 15 years blaming Republicans for a mess they created.

Now the Democrats want to make Obamacare "affordable" by offsetting those expensive insurance plans with more government subsidies.

Here's more from the 

Washington Post (emphasis added):

Yet Democrats have demanded that Republicans agree to extend the covid-era insurance subsidies without proposing any way to pay for it. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this will cost $350 billion over the next decade. These temporary benefits were included in the American Rescue Plan of March 2021 and extended the next year in the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act until the end of 2025.

The real problem is that the Affordable Care Act was never actually affordable. President Barack Obama’s signature achievement allowed people to buy insurance on marketplaces with subsidies based on their income. The architects of the program assumed that risk pools would be bigger than they turned out to be. As a result, policies cost more than expected.

Incredible to see them admit this now.

Truly.

Byron York has more:

The Democratic Party’s biggest policy achievement of this century is the 2010 passage of Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act. Establishing a national healthcare system had been a Democratic goal for generations. With Obamacare, the party got closer than ever before, as it briefly had 60 votes in the Senate. 

But Democrats did not have the political support to establish the huge, single-payer system they wanted, so they settled for the Affordable Care Act — establishing marketplaces, offering government subsidies, establishing rules regarding pre-existing conditions, expanding Medicaid, and more. It was the best they could do with the votes that they had. Acknowledging that, some Democrats at the time referred to Obamacare as a “starter home,” an affordable beginning house to which an owner adds rooms and amenities as the years go by.

Of course, to do that, the Democratic Party would need to control the White House, House, and Senate. After 2010, the next time that happened for Democrats was in 2021, in the first year of President Joe Biden’s term. So it was no surprise that a top Democratic priority was expanding Obamacare.

It's a tale as old as time. The government, usually run by Democrats, tries to make something more "affordable" by having the government subsidize it. And, without fail, that "affordable" thing becomes insanely expensive. Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed since Obamacare made them "affordable." 

Americans now spend more on healthcare than on groceries and housing. Last December, CBS News reported that the average cost of a family's health insurance had increased from $5,791 in 2000 to nearly $25,572 in 2024. Coverage for a single person quadrupled over that same time period ($2,196 in 2000 to $8,951 in 2024).

The influx of illegal immigrants doesn't help things. Between 2020 and 2024, the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants increased by 196%.

It's also put a significant strain on healthcare, as many illegals use hospital emergency rooms as primary care clinics. According to PubMed, 61% of emergency room visits were classifiable as "preventable or "primary care treatable."

According to that NYC nurse, "[Illegal immigrants] give fictitious addresses so they never get a bill, but even if they do, they don’t pay it. The minute they get citizenship they immediately go on Medicaid which pays for EVERYTHING! Meanwhile I have patients that have to CHOOSE what medications they can afford to pay for each month even though they have private health insurance. America is a generous country. But this is unfair."

This is what the Schumer Shutdown is all about: restoring sanity to our healthcare system, and stopping wasteful spending that doesn't put Americans first.

🎭 𝐖𝟑𝐏 𝓓𝓐𝓘𝓛𝓨 𝓗𝓾𝓶𝓸𝓻, 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬, 𝓐𝓻𝓽, 𝓞𝓟𝓔𝓝 𝓣𝓗𝓡𝓔𝓐𝓓

 

Welcome to 

The 𝐖𝟑𝐏 𝓓𝓐𝓘𝓛𝓨 𝓗𝓾𝓶𝓸𝓻, 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬, 𝓐𝓻𝓽, 𝓞𝓟𝓔𝓝 𝓣𝓗𝓡𝓔𝓐𝓓 

Here’s a place to share cartoons, jokes, music, art, nature, 

man-made wonders, and whatever else you can think of. 

No politics or divisive posts on this thread. 

This feature will appear every day at 1pm mountain time. 

Gaza War: IDF Prepares to Capture Gaza City - Part 2

RedState 

This column follows yesterday's article, which provided background information on the Gaza War from its inception through August 2025. Today's column provides a detailed look at the ongoing operation to capture Gaza City. IDF operations will continue until Hamas formally signs Trump's peace deal and releases all of the hostages.

Current Operation: Operation Gideon's Chariots B

On August 20, 2025, Netanyahu announced the follow-up full-scale offensive, Operation Gideon's Chariots B. The goal of the Part B mission is to destroy Hamas's Gaza City Brigade. The IDF plans to capture and hold the entirety of Gaza City, which is the capital and symbolic center of Hamas. Capturing the city and destroying all of its infrastructure would be a significant military accomplishment.

On September 5, the IDF started dropping 2,000-pound bombs on the Gaza City high-rises, collapsing some of them into piles of rubble. In preparation for the ground offensive, the IDF destroyed all the high-rise structures that Hamas could use for sniper or scouting positions. The high-rise buildings that could not be fully eliminated from the air were eventually demolished by ground forces using explosives after the operation began.

Gaza City is defended by a well-organized force of Hamas terrorists who are protected by extensive underground bases and tunnel networks. Hamas relies on guerrilla tactics, relocating thousands of terrorists away from the front lines. Small units are left behind that rotate in and out of the operating theater, conducting ambushes on IDF forces. The IDF estimates there are 2,500 Hamas terrorists left in Gaza City, with the rest fleeing southward along the coastal road to the Al‑Mawasi humanitarian area along Gaza's southern coast.

In preparation for Operation Gideon's Chariots B, the IDF called up 60,000 reservists, bringing the total force assembled to capture Gaza City to 130,000. This number includes infantry, tanks, and artillery. The majority of the soldiers leading the operation are young recruits from regular battalions who were in high school on October 7, 2023.

The IDF plans to systematically clear and demolish buildings above the detected tunnels. In previous operations, the IDF left these above-ground structures intact. Key tunnel access points will be isolated, scanned, and cleared, with pursuit operations conducted as needed. Afterwards, above-ground structures will be demolished.

Hamas' RPG and sniper capabilities have been severely weakened from past operations. However, Hamas has evolved, disguising thousands of IEDs in buildings and streets where the IDF is operating. Hamas camouflages its IEDs within rubble, floors, or walls. Often, Hamas will use unexploded IDF munitions, including 107mm mortars and large Air Force bombs, for their IEDs. Hamas has also been known to fill abandoned IDF ammunition crates with cement and explosives and power them using solar panels. Hamas also hides hidden cameras near the IEDs to help with remote detonation. During preparations for Gideon's Chariots B, IDF troops were provided special kits for detecting these explosive devices.

In 2025, the IDF began using Israeli-designed Atalef (English: Bat) suicide drones. These drones have about a three-mile range and can carry a six-pound explosive charge. The IDF has successfully used the Bat drone to kill hundreds of Hamas terrorists in 2025.

On the day Operation Gideon's Chariots B was announced, the IDF estimated that over one million residents were living in the city, creating a population density of over 58,000 people per square mile. The IDF dropped leaflets urging the residents to flee Gaza City. The IDF opened multiple north-south routes to allow the civilian population to evacuate. However, by the time Operation Gideon's Chariots B began on September 15, the IDF estimated that only about 350,000 of the one million residents had fled the city. The IDF has been using small munitions to create loud blasts that cause little damage in an effort to motivate civilians to flee. This is done ahead of the advancement of infantry and armored troops. Hamas has been violently preventing the rest of the population from leaving.

At 10 PM on September 15, the IDF advanced into Gaza City to begin the offensive. The operation began on the city’s outskirts, with the IDF advancing from the north, east, and south. In the north, the IDF advanced into the neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan; from the east, the IDF advanced into al-Karama; and from the south, the IDF advanced into Tel al-Hawa. The infantry advancement was preceded by heavy aerial bombardment, which could be heard as far away as Tel Aviv, which lies 42 miles to the north of Gaza City.

On September 16, Eyal Zamir became the first IDF Chief of Staff in Israel's history to lead the IDF from the front lines. Zamir was accompanied by Yaniv Asor, Major General of the Southern Command. For reference, the IDF does not have any four-star generals, and the only three-star general currently is Eyal Zamir, the IDF Chief of Staff. Yaniv Asor reports directly to Eyal Zamir.

The IDF estimated it had captured about 40 percent of Gaza City after the first day of the operation and that another 130,000 reserve soldiers would be mobilized in the coming days. In addition to tanks, infantry, and Air Force bombardments, IDF helicopters were active in the northern parts of Gaza City all night. The IDF also began bombardments of the beach as it worked to advance from the east.

On September 17, Defense Minister Israel Katz put out the following statement on X: "Yesterday, with the start of the ground maneuver and the transfer of command responsibility to the division commanders in the field, 25 terror towers were destroyed in Gaza! A huge and significant number. To remove any sniper threat above the maneuvering forces, terrorists were neutralized, and terror infrastructure was destroyed. Gaza residents were required to move south for their own protection."

On September 17, the IDF's intelligence division released a statement revising its estimates of Hamas forces in Gaza City. The new estimate places about 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and 2,500 from Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF believes that the number includes teenagers tasked with observing IDF forces. Hamas continues to recruit manpower to make up for its losses in the field. This is why, despite the IDF having killed over 25,000 Hamas fighters since October 7, 2023, there are always more to take their place. The IDF believes about half of the living Israeli hostages are being held inside Gaza City.

On September 18, the commander of the 82nd Armored Battalion "Ga'ash" (English: Quake) revealed that "Every tank carries a sheet with the hostages' photos." The tank crews are mentally prepared for the possibility that at any moment there could be an order to halt fire because a hostage has been spotted. The IDF is planning to rotate tanks in and out of battle on a regular basis for deep maintenance. IDF soldiers will fight in shifts of three to four weeks and then be sent to the back lines to recuperate. This is different than the immediate aftermath of October 7, 2023, when nearly every reservist was called into service and remained in combat for months.

The IDF's intelligence gathering has improved since October 7, 2023. At the onset of the war, the IDF didn't know exactly which Hamas bases to target first. This time, the IDF knows exactly where the strongholds are and is prepared to proceed cautiously to achieve its objectives. The armored division, along with combat engineers, will systematically collapse buildings; however, buildings must be searched and cleared to recover intelligence before they are demolished.

On September 22, the IDF announced a major expansion of operations in Gaza City. The 36th Armored Division joined the 162nd Armored Division and the Tzanhanim (35th Paratroopers Brigade) as the combined forces worked together to encircle Gaza City. By September 23, IDF forces had reached the neighborhood of Sabra in western Gaza City. The IDF troops uncovered Hamas submachine guns, ammunition, tunnel shafts in civilian buildings, and surveillance cameras. The IDF Air Force intercepted a rocket that was launched toward the Nahal Oz Kibbutz.

On September 24, the IDF released footage of Hamas terrorists attacking Israeli forces from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The Al-Shifa Hospital is currently active and open to patients. This is typical of Hamas strategies where they operate from hospitals, schools, mosques, and UNRWA installations. The IDF has not made a decision if or when it plans to capture the hospital.

On September 27, it was reported in the Israeli media that all daily movements of brigade combat teams are approved by Eyal Zamir, the IDF Chief of Staff. Zamir wants to ensure the IDF units advance slowly behind a wall of heavy artillery and air strikes. These tactics are different from nearly all previous wars in which the IDF had engaged, in which rapid maneuvering and advancement were prioritized to overwhelm the enemy, capture a large area, and force an end to the war quickly. However, since the Gaza war requires long periods of urban warfare, the IDF is tasked with ensuring its forces operate under the new guidelines, which are different from what they are used to.

The IDF established new logistical outposts in Gaza City and on the coast for the 98th, 162nd, and 36th Divisions. These outposts were fortified with earthen combat berms to prepare for a prolonged offensive. The outposts will serve as maintenance depots for tanks, APCs, and engineering vehicles. The IDF is installing fuel and water pipelines along with a seawater desalination facility. Eventually, the outposts will be built up to provide showers, rest facilities, gear replacement, and special meals for units rotating behind the front lines for a few days.

The Combined Arms 143rd Division and the 99th Infantry Division are providing defensive support on the outskirts of Gaza City to ensure the eastern half of the Netzarim Corridor, which is south of Gaza City, remains open as a supply route. When the IDF reaches the underground bases and main tunnel network in central and western Gaza City, the 99th Division will close the entire Netzarim Corridor all the way to the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, soldiers from IDF engineering battalions positioned bulldozers and trucks packed with explosives near tall buildings in preparation for the demolition of hundreds of buildings.

On September 28, the IDF's 98th Division completed encirclement of the UNRWA Shati refugee camp in preparation for an assault. The Shati Camp is a crowded and densely built-up urban area and a major Hamas stronghold along the northern coast of Gaza City. The IDF estimates that hundreds of Hamas terrorists remain in tunnels in preparation for guerrilla ambushes and heavy mortar fire when the IDF advances within the camp's limits. The IDF estimates that Hamas has recruited new terrorists from the "civilian" population to rebuild its Shati Battalion with a high level of command-and-control infrastructure.

The IDF expects the capture of Shati Camp to be complex and lengthy, taking upwards of two and a half months to clear all the tunnels and destroy all the buildings above them. The IDF is aware that hostages might be present inside the camp. One IDF commander said, "Every company commander carries a notebook with the hostages’ names and photos." Rules of engagement are carefully designed to avoid endangering hostages.

On September 29, Trump's peace plan was announced during the joint press conference with Netanyahu. Since then, the IDF has been ordered to continue its operations until it is told to stand down. Assuming that Hamas does not comply with the peace deal and the Gaza war rages on, the IDF anticipates Operation Gideon's Chariots B will be completed by January. The IDF further anticipates that even in the best-case scenario, Hamas is not expected to be decisively defeated during Gideon's Chariots B. Once the operation concludes, it will be followed up by Gideon's Chariots C, whose operational goals have yet to be made public.

Following Trump's announcement on Friday, October 3, that Israel stop bombing Gaza, Netanyahu ordered the IDF to implement a unilateral ceasefire beginning at 3 AM Saturday, October 4, Israeli time (5 PM PST / 8 PM EST, Friday, October 3). The terms of the unilateral ceasefire are as follows.

The IDF halted all offensive maneuvers and only defensive operations will be undertaken. Soldiers will be allowed to return fire if they feel threatened, but such actions must be approved by squad commanders. The IDF has reinforced its units all across the southern Gaza Strip, especially near Khan Younis, the Philadelphi Corridor, and defensive outposts along the buffer zone inside Gaza. In Gaza City, the IDF is installing additional surveillance measures, including drones and UAVs.

The unilateral pause by the IDF is designed so that Netanyahu can say it is part of Trump's plan, with the hope that it puts more pressure on Hamas to release the hostages. The IDF released a statement on its English‑language X account that said, "In accordance with the directives from the political echelon, the Chief of the General Staff instructed the IDF to advance readiness for the implementation of the first phase of the Trump plan for the release of the hostages."

The IDF has no plans to move its soldiers to the withdrawal line until a deal is reached and Hamas signs on the dotted line to release all 48 hostages. If the talks collapse, the IDF plans to resume the war. A senior IDF officer is quoted as saying, "This is not the end of the war, but it's a pause to give diplomacy a chance."