General Assessment:
We are at the beginning of the third week of the war. The IDF continues its air assaults in Gaza in preparation for the ground maneuver. IDF forces are at the highest level of readiness. IDF leaders are rallying the troops, as Major General Tamir Yedai, Commanding Officer of the Ground Forces, stated in an address to the troops: “We meet during days of training and preparations, you are stronger than ever, this is a war, and we will win.”
On the northern front, Hezbollah is ramping up its offensive against Israeli soldiers, civilians, and infrastructures. The IDF responds forcefully to all Hezbollah attacks, eliminating the terrorists who carry them out. Since the October 7 Hamas attack, Hezbollah has launched dozens of anti-tank guided missiles, rockets, and mortars against Israeli military positions and communities. Hezbollah announced the death of several more of its operatives. According to Hezbollah reports, a total of 24 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed since the start of the war.
– The ISA has established a Dedicated Forward Command Center to track down and eliminate the Hamas terrorists who entered Israel on October 7 from Gaza and committed the inhumane atrocities. The Center received the nickname “Nili”
– Opening of Rafah crossing: The Rafah crossing on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip opened yesterday morning for the first time since the outbreak of hostilities. 20 trucks entered through the crossing – and with them medicine, medical equipment, and food.
– So far, according to the IDF since Saturday morning Oct. 7, 1,400 Israelis were killed, among them 306 fallen soldiers. 3,900 Israelis were wounded. 212 Confirmed abducted, and many more missing. Since the beginning of hostilities, nearly 7,000 rockets have been launched into Israel.
Operational Updates:
Northern Arena:
We are witnessing a significant increase in ATGM and mortar attacks on Israeli communities, IDF soldiers, Israeli infrastructures and surveillance means, including infiltration attempts by Hezbollah.
The occurrences in the northern region transpired earlier than the customary timeframe during which Hezbollah typically initiates strikes, specifically in the afternoon. The occurrences transpired over the entirety of the border. The majority of the occurrences consisted of instances of anti-tank fire directed against IDF outposts along the border, with the sole exception being the interception of a UAV attempting to breach the border and mortar shells that landed in an open area. The IDF demonstrated a prompt response to virtually each assault initiated by Hezbollah. The IDF killed Hezbollah operatives in many cases by attacking squads attempting to launch anti-tank missiles.
Several times, the IDF assaulted squads attempting to deploy anti-tank rockets, killing Hezbollah members.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressing IDF soldiers deployed in the north: “To be clear: If Hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will long for the Second Lebanon War.”
– Just after midnight a rocket was launched toward an IDF UAV in the area of the border with Lebanon. The IDF Aerial Defense Array intercepted the rocket, and the aircraft was not damaged. In response, IDF aircraft struck the military compound from which the rocket was launched. Furthermore, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah military infrastructure and observation equipment, in response to the shooting incidents toward Israeli territory. Throughout the attacks, an IDF soldier was severely injured after he was struck by an anti-tank missile in the Bar’am area. The soldier was evacuated to a hospital. Two additional soldiers were slightly injured and received medical treatment at the scene.
-The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) of the Ministry of Defense and the IDF are announcing the expansion of the state-funded evacuation plan to additional communities in northern Israel. The addition of the communities was approved by Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant. A short while ago, the Northern Command updated the heads of the local authorities on the decision. The plan will be implemented by the heads of the local municipalities, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) of the Ministry of Defense. The 14 communities added to the plan are: Snir, Dan, Beit Hillel, She’ar Yashuv, Hagoshrim, Liman, Matzuva, Eylon, Goren, Gornot HaGalil, Even Menachem, Sasa, Tziv’on and Ramot Naftali.
– 08:30 – IDF soldiers detected a terrorist cell attempting to shoot anti-tank rockets against the Avivim area along Lebanon’s border. IDF soldiers attacked the terrorists before they could carry out the attack.
11:00- A Hezbollah terrorist cell fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF tank in the area of Har Dov. In response, the tank fired toward the cell. No IDF injuries were reported and no damage was caused.
11:50 – IDF soldiers spotted a terrorist cell attempting to launch anti-tank missiles toward the area of Zar’it. An IDF aircraft struck the cell before it was able to carry out the attack. In response to the attempted missile launch, the IDF responded with fire toward Lebanese territory. In addition, the IDF Aerial Defense Array intercepted a UAV that was approaching Israel from Lebanon.
Furthermore, terrorists fired a number of anti-tank missiles toward the area of IDF outpost Tsiporen. IDF soldiers responded with fire toward the origin of the shooting, in Lebanese territory.
14:45 – In the vicinity of Kibbutz Yiftah, a number of mortar shells were launched into Israeli territory, all landed in open areas. Moreover, terrorists fired an anti-tank missile in the area of the outposts of Turmus and Shushan. The IDF responded with tank and artillery fire toward the sources of the launch.
18:45 – IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah infrastructure after terrorists were detected attempting to launch an anti-tank missile into Israeli territory adjacent to Malkia.
Furthermore, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles toward an open field in the area of Arab al-Aramshe in northern Israel. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused.
Syria: According to foreign reports, The Israeli Airforce attacked the Damascus and Aleppo airports.
Gaza and Southern Israel:
The IDF is continuing its campaign in Gaza, targeting all identified Hamas terrorists, infrastructures, bases, and any locations belonging to or having association with Hamas.
IDF fighter jets killed Muhamad Qatmash, the Deputy Head of Hamas’ Artillery Array in the Gaza Strip, who was responsible for artillery operations in Hamas’ Central Brigade in the Gaza Strip. He played a significant role in the planning and execution of fire directed at Israel from the Gaza Strip in previous rounds of fighting.
Hamas rockets continue to be launched toward population centers in southern and central Israel. The majority of the rockets are intercepted and destroyed in flight, while others explode in open areas, with a small number of rockets slipping through the Iron Dome array striking Israeli structures and homes.
Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has identified about 550 failed Hamas rocket launches that fell inside the Gaza Strip. The Hamas terrorist organization uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields and launches rockets from civilian infrastructure, areas, and buildings in the Gaza Strip.
Judea and Samaria arena:
IDF forces alongside the ISA have been clamping down on Hamas and PIJ terrorists and their counterparts in Judea and Samaria since the outbreak of hostilities. More than 700 Hamas suspected terrorists have been detained. Last night, in a joint IDF and ISA activity, the IDF conducted an aerial strike on an underground terror compound in the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin; The mosque contained a terror cell of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror operatives who were organizing an imminent terror attack.
International Arena:
– In a draft resolution submitted to the UN Security Council, the United States is driving to support Israel’s right to defend itself and demands that Iran stop transferring weapons to “militias and terrorist organizations that endanger regional peace and security.”
– British PM Rishi Sunak stated in an article in The Telegraph: “Hamas have already shown who they are. They must be defeated; this is a moment for humanity to win out against the scourge of terrorism and break the cycle of tragedy.”
– Attacks on the US militarily –Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, Iranian proxy forces have been targeting US forces throughout the Middle East. U.S. troops have been repeatedly attacked in Iraq and Syria in recent days, with regional tensions soaring during the Israel-Hamas war. The al-Tanf garrison in Syria was targeted by two drones on Oct. 18. U.S. and coalition forces engaged one drone destroying it while the other drone impacted the base resulting in minor injuries to coalition forces,”. Drones and rockets targeted the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces in western Iraq, and multiple blasts were heard inside the base. According to Iraqi police, rockets hit another military base hosting U.S. forces near Baghdad’s international airport, on Thursday.
In a separate occurrence in northern Iraq, U.S. forces engaged and destroyed a drone resulting in no injuries or damage.
Proxy forces claimed to have fired projectiles at Conico gas field under US military control on October 19th.
