I began the morning in Ashdod, and went for a run at sunrise in the sand dunes that line the beach. The weather was windy, and the surf was wild. In the sand dunes, the scene was more placid, and I even found gazelle tracks, though I did not see one of those majestic animals.

From there, I drove south to Zikim Beach, site of one of the most brutal Hamas assaults on October 7th. Terrorist commandos succeeded in landing on the beach and murdered innocent people -- surfers, fishermen, people out for a morning walk -- before attacking IDF bases.

Today, Zikim is a staging point for the Israeli military in its battles against Hamas in Gaza. It is also an entry point for humanitarian aid trucks entering the territory. A reserve IDF unit called Yatar took me on a fast ATV ride on a tour of the border, for a view of the battlefield.

From there, I drove north to Tel Aviv, for a meeting with Israeli government spokesman David Mencer, whom I usually encounter in Zoom press briefings. Then I drove east to Jerusalem, where I had a short lunch with incoming Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Yehiel Leiter.

Then I rejoined my friend from Magdala, Father Eamon Kelly, for a sneak preview of a mural of the Pentecost at the Notre Dame center, and for a rooftop view of the Christian Quarter of the Old City. The weather was cold and windy, and I decided to find my Airbnb before dark.

After a phone interview with an IDF official, I did a little shopping on Ben Yehuda Street, had dinner at a café in Mamilla, and walked to the Kotel, the Western Wall, for a last visit before I return to the U.S. on Wednesday evening. In the rain, the streets shone, reflecting every light.