Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Ramon Air Force base: “There will be no ceasefire without the return of the abductees, we say this to both our enemies and our friends. We will continue until we defeat them”
General:
We are at the beginning of the fifth week of the war since Hamas’ appalling attack on Israel. In the north Hezbollah is continuing its aggression against Israel on the northern border. Last night it claimed to have shelled an IDF outpost with a 100 kg. explosive load rocket. This morning IDF air defense forces intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory.
In the south, IDF troops continue to eliminate terrorists in close-quarter combat while also directing aircraft to strike Hamas terrorist infrastructure, weapons depots, observation positions, and command and control centers in the Gaza Strip. IDF troops guided aircraft to target a Hamas military base with command-and-control centers, observation posts, and other terrorist infrastructure overnight.
Over 2,500 terror targets have been struck during the combined operations of ground, air, and naval troops in the Gaza Strip.
– So far, according to the IDF since Saturday morning Oct. 7, 1,400 Israelis were murdered and 5,431 Israelis wounded. 345 IDF soldiers killed in action, 241 confirmed abducted civilians and IDF soldiers, including a total of 35 children, 10 of whom are below the age of 5, and 18 elderly persons who are 75 years of age or older. many more are still missing. Since the beginning of hostilities, 9,000+ rockets have been launched into Israel. To date, an estimated 250,000 Israelis have been compelled to leave their homes in the communities and towns adjacent to the northern frontier and the Gaza Strip, and have since been placed in different locations across the country. Israeli IDF reservists recruited 360,000.
Operational Updates:
Northern Arena:
– The northern sector is still heating up, especially in the Upper Galilee area.
At 9:00 an alarm was sounded in the Upper Galilee. After about an hour, the IDF announced that it had launched an interceptor at a suspicious target that was launched from Lebanese territory. There were no casualties in the incident.
At 12:30 the IDF informed that it shot down a Hezbollah UAV and attacked a terrorist squad that opened fire on the Lebanese border.
At 14:00 a fourth alarm was sounded today in the Upper Galilee due to anti-tank fire that directly hit a tanker truck near Kibbutz Yiftach in the Galilee, One Israeli citizen was killed in this attack. Hezbollah claimed responsibility.
Just in: Rockets were shot into Kyriat Shmona, directly hitting a home; no injuries were reported. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the incident, which was, according to them, in reaction to an IDF attack on a car in south Lebanon earlier today.
Gaza and Southern Israel:
-The IDF forces are deep in Gaza City, continuing to deepen the offensive against Hamas terrorists, breaking through Hamas defense lines set up for years around Gaza City, eliminating scores of terrorists in its way, not without unfortunate casualties. Scores of Hamas terrorists were killed in the IDF onslaught.
-The 36th Division has been operating in the northern Gaza Strip and has reached locations along the Gaza coast as part of the recent extension of ground operations. The division’s mission is to encircle Hamas forces in Gaza City and to strike and destroy specific targets, including Hamas terrorist assets and command and control facilities. During the hostilities in Gaza, the 36th Division hit nearly 1,600 Hamas targets. The infrastructure of the organization, weapons storage facilities, anti-tank missile launch and observation stations, and Hamas personnel are among the targets. Since the start of the battle, soldiers from the 36th Division have killed over 300 terrorists in operations involving artillery fire and cooperation with the Israeli Air Force, infantry, and armored units. The division’s forces targeted roughly 50 targets in the last 12 hours, including fighting zones, operating residences, outposts, military positions, and underground infrastructure, and eliminated terrorists in close-quarter combat.
– In accordance with international law, the IDF continues to urge Gaza City inhabitants to move to a safe humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip’s southwest, in the Al-Mawasi area, where international aid is supplied via the Rafah crossing. Hamas terrorists are attempting to impede their evacuation through persuasion or force, to exploit these civilians as “human shields.” This morning the IDF opened additional humanitarian paths to allow Gazans to evacuate south.
Intercept confirming Hamas’ actions to prevent civilian evacuation:
-Hamas continues to demonstrate its capabilities to launch missiles into Israel. Today, rockets were launched from Gaza toward the South, Beer Sheva, central Israel, and Tel Aviv.
Since the commencement of the war, the IDF has identified 10% (600 missiles) of all missiles launched from within the Gaza Strip as having misfired, killing, wounding, or damaging Gaza residents. 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.
-IDF troops are revealing how the Hamas terror organization routinely utilizes civilian facilities for terrorist activity. Rocket launchers were discovered near a children’s swimming pool, as well as launch pads and rocket launchers in a children’s playground in Gaza. This demonstrates Hamas’ deliberate use of civilian infrastructure and people, including children, as human shields for its military operations.
– In his daily report IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari showed indisputable evidence, intercepted phone conversations and visuals, proving Hamas’ underground terror tunnels and underground launching pits, built underneath Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital and the Sheikh Hamad Hospital.
Humanitarian aid:
It should be noted that under the Rules of War, Israel is under no obligation to supply for the needs of its enemy, Hamas.
-Rafah crossing on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip remains open for the flow of humanitarian aid carrying, medicine, medical equipment, and food, due to US pressure, Israel increased humanitarian aid, and according to UN statements, 100+ trucks cross into Gaza daily. The IDF emphasizes that all equipment is checked before entering the Strip.
– According to sources inside Gaza, 374 trucks of food, water, and medicine or medical supplies have entered via Rafah since October 21, when Israel first began allowing the tightly controlled shipments. Furthermore, Israel has opened two water pipelines to the south of the Gaza Strip, supplying about 28 million liters of drinkable water each day.
–Fuel into Gaza: Hamas is pleading for diesel fuel to be conveyed into the Strip via the Rafah crossing, alleging that the fuel in Gaza is about to run out and that there is insufficient fuel to run the Strip’s hospitals. The IDF categorically disputed this assertion, citing intelligence information, and that Hamas has approximately half a million liters of diesel fuel in Gaza. In addition, the IDF spokesman published intercepted telephone conversations between Hamas officials and hospital directors in Gaza, in which they agreed on the supply of diesel owned by the hospital to Hamas. The truth is that Hamas requires diesel fuel to power its terror tunnels’ ventilation and electrical systems.
In Israel, there are voices of protest against the insertion of humanitarian aid into Gaza, while Israel does not receive any humanitarian aid or information in return regarding the abductees and hostages held by Hamas. Nothing has been done despite repeated petitions to the Red Cross.
– IDF forces are continuing their anti-terror campaign against Hamas and PIJ terrorists. During the night, IDF forces, the Border Patrol, and the ISA arrested 34 people wanted on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities, 18 of them terrorists belonging to Hamas. In a joint operation this morning in the village of Abu Dis, a terrorist named Nabil Halavia was killed after an exchange of fire between him and the forces.
– In another operation in Jenin, 9 suspects were arrested, weapons parts were located and engineering forces uncovered ready-made charges on the roads intended to harm our forces. During the activity of the forces in the Hebron area, 8 suspects of terrorist activities were arrested. During the activity of the forces, military equipment was seized as well as a number of drones that were possibly used to gather information.
Iran:
-Last Friday Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, issued a warning regarding the US support for Israel, as military operations escalated in Gaza.
– Iran’s Leader’s Office confirms: Khamenei met in Tehran with senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh.
International Arena:
-A video published by Iranian proxy militia in Iraq today of a kamikaze drone launch claimed to be targeting American forces at the Tal Baydar base in Al-Hasakah, Syria. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has vowed that US forces will defend themselves in an escalation. There are more claims than actual attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria, yet video evidence usually comes before confirmation.
– US Secretary of State Blinken is expected to arrive in Ramallah, where he will meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).
– Ukraine President Zelensky: “The Israel-Gaza war is taking away the focus from the conflict in Ukraine”, “Russia is very pleased with the war between Israel and Hamas, they don’t count how many children are killed there – they just want to divide the world.”
