Eilat: Around 15:45 a UAV hit a school building in the southern city of Eilat, while 37 young students were in attendance. The attack caused major structural damage, but miraculously, the children were uninjured. One civilian age 20 was treated for smoke inhalation. At around 20:00, sirens sounded in Eilat in what is now confirmed to have been an MRBM launch from Yemen that was intercepted by the Arrow missile defense system.
General:
– Last night, in response to the launches toward Israel over the past day, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terror infrastructure in Lebanon. The Hezbollah targets struck were military structures and posts in which the terrorists operated, along with a number of technological assets used to direct terror against Israel. Hezbollah continues to exacerbate the situation along the border.
In the south, IDF soldiers of the Nahal Brigade’s combat team completed an operation to take over Outpost 17, a military stronghold of the Hamas terrorist organization in western Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. Furthermore, Division 162 took control of the Hamas security quarter. Givati Brigade combat team forces eliminated over 50 terrorists.
– So far, according to the IDF since Saturday morning Oct. 7, 1,400 Israeli casualties and 7,262 Israelis wounded. 351 IDF soldiers killed in action. 239 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, 9,500+ 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.
The Israel Police has updated that 845 civilians who were murdered in the war (excluding IDF soldiers) have been identified so far.
Operational Updates:
IDF spokesperson – The largest deployment of aerial defense batteries ever; The soldiers of the Aerial Defense Array intercepted thousands of rockets across all layers of defense:
Since the beginning of the war, about 9,500 rockets and dozens of unmanned aircraft have been launched towards Israel. The soldiers of the Aerial Defense Array intercepted thousands of rockets in the defended areas, and following the entry of ground forces into the Gaza Strip, a significant decrease in the number of launches is evident. The aerial defense systems are working simultaneously – Iron Dome, David’s Sling, MIM-104 Patriot, and Arrow. These provide protection in every layer of aerial defense and enable optimal protection of the Israeli home front. Approximately 12% of the total launches toward Israel landed in the Gaza Strip and about 900 launches were carried out from civilian sites such as mosques, schools, hospitals, and cultural centers.
Northern Arena:
-Ruby Hamershlag (channel Kan 11) reporting from the north: The IDF is not content only at attacking the first line of the Radwan Force outposts, which have been almost completely destroyed along the border but is slowly deepening the attacks into the depth of Lebanese territory up until the Litani. The attacks include assaults on targets of weapons depots and technological observation means.
Israel’s goal at the moment is to contain the northern front and stop Hezbollah’s attacks as much as possible.
Last night, the IDF attacked a terrorist cell near the border in the area of Rosh Hanikra.
14:45 – IDF forces identified and attacked two anti-tank squads that were identified in Lebanese territory, in the Biranit area and in the Yiftach area. Furthermore, terrorists fired at an IDF UAV in the Mount Dov region. An IDF attacked the source of the shooting with aircraft and artillery fire. Correspondingly, terrorists fired anti-aircraft missiles at Mitzpe Adi and IDF forces attacked the source of the fire with artillery. In addition,
16:53 – Several mortar launches were detected from Lebanese territory. IDF forces attacked the launcher from which the shooting was carried out. Soon after terrorists launched several anti-tank missiles and fired small arms at an IDF outpost in the Metula area. In response, IDF forces attacked the sources of fire with artillery and tanks.
Gaza and Southern Israel:
– Based on ISA and IDF intelligence, an IDF fighter jet killed Ibrahim Abu-Maghsib, Head of Hamas’ Anti-Tank Missile Unit in the Central Camps Brigade. As part of his position, Maghsib directed and carried out numerous anti-tank missile launches directed at Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.
-IDF soldiers discovered a Hamas weapons manufacturing and storage facility used to produce and store UAVs and weapons. The site was located in a residential building close to schools in the center of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza.
In the building, Hamas’ explosives and operational plans were found right next to a children’s bedroom.
– IDF soldiers of the Nahal Brigade’s combat team completed an operation to take over Outpost 17, a military stronghold of the Hamas terrorist organization in western Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. The ground forces completed the takeover of the Hamas outpost after 10 hours of fighting, during which they eliminated terrorists, captured many weapons, and uncovered terrorist tunnel shafts, including a shaft located near a kindergarten and leading to an extensive underground route. During the outpost takeover, Nahal soldiers located and collected significant operative materials about the enemy’s operational plans. During the takeover of the outpost, the fighters waged a battle against Hamas and PIJ terrorists who were manning the outpost, both above ground and underground.
Division 162 has been operating in recent days in the center of Gaza City in the area of the Hamas security quarter; Givati Brigade combat team forces eliminated over 50 terrorists. Infantry, armored, and engineering forces with the assistance of the Air Force and special forces raided the security quarter of the terrorist organization Hamas in the heart of Gaza City, near the Shifaa Hospital. The security quarter area is the core of the intelligence and operational activities of the terrorist organization Hamas used, among other things, to plan and prepare its forces for the murderous attack it carried out on October 7. During the last few days, the infantry, armor, and engineering forces of the Givati Brigade combat team worked to cleanse the area and neutralize the many terrorist infrastructures in the area, including a wide underground infrastructure, at the same time fighting and eliminating dozens of terrorists.
– As part of the assistance to the ground activity, the forces of the Navy attacked an anti-tank missile launching position of the terrorist organization Hamas, from which launches were detected in the direction of the IDF maneuvering forces.
– 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.”
The IDF spokesman in Arabic, Lt. Col. Avihai Adrai, today, once again addressed the residents of the Gaza Strip and called on them to evacuate to the south. Between 10:00 am and 16:00. Thousands of residents of the northern Gaza Strip responded to the IDF’s repeated calls to move southward of Wadi Gaza via the Salah al-Din Road. A considerable number of Gazans took advantage of the opportunity. Lt. Col. Avihai Adrei also published a phone number and a Telegram channel for Gaza residents to notify the IDF if Hamas is preventing them from moving south. In addition, the IDF spokesperson published a recording of an intercepted conversation between 2 Gazan women in which they describe how Hamas prevents residents from moving south for their safety and the safety of their families
IDF tanks and troops secure Palestinians trying to cross from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip. The forces are in place intending to prevent Hamas terrorists from harming the civilian Gazans. It has been recorded that Hamas terrorists have fired at their own citizens in order to dissuade them from moving south.
Palestinian sources: The IDF dropped banners in the Jenin refugee camp – in which it addressed the residents: “The activities of the IDF are because of the terrorist attacks you support. The IDF will stay here and return again and again until terrorism is eradicated. Stay away from terrorism – and live in peace. We warned you”
Human Sheild Tactic:
The Hamas terrorist organization exploits ambulances, hospitals, clinics, mosques, and schools for terrorist purposes. Hamas also uses ambulances to transfer weapons and terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip. This is another example of how the Hamas terrorist organization exploits civilian infrastructure and uses civilians as human shields.
The IDF exposed recordings of Hamas terrorists saying how Hamas has its own ambulances – similar to the civilian ones- As a Hamas terrorist confessed in his interrogation: “Al-Qassam (Hamas) has its own ambulances. Some are in the military base. Their appearance is similar to the civilian ambulances so that they will not arouse suspicion or be bombed by Israel”. Another terrorist claimed that “the Jews do not harm the ambulances”, while another terrorist from the Nukhba Force said that “during combat, the ambulances are used, among other things, to evacuate fighters and active. They also transport food, cargo, and weapons in them because this is the safest way to transport them.”
– One of the terrorists told the ISA investigator that most senior Hamas officials, including Yahya Sinwar, are hiding in the hospitals – especially in Shifa. “They use the hospitals because they don’t bomb them”. “In Shifa, for example, there is a basement. It’s a big place, a hiding place for the big ones, the main ones (the senior commanders)”. Another terrorist said that “many places in the Gaza Strip have been booby-trapped. The (operating) cables that lead to the operating systems are in mosques and civilian clinics.”
-The Coordinator of Government Operations in the Territories updates: Today 80,000 Gazans passed through the humanitarian corridor on the Salah al-Din route today and evacuated to the south of the Gaza Strip.
-Hamas continues to demonstrate its capabilities to launch missiles into Israel. Last night and today, rockets were launched from Gaza toward the south and center of Israel.
A UAV struck a school building in the southern city of Eilat around 15:45, while children were present. Despite the fact that the attack caused significant structural damage, no injuries were reported. The origin of the attack is not known at this time.
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. The IDF emphasizes that all equipment is checked before entering the Strip.
– Yesterday 96 trucks of food, water, and medicine or medical supplies entered via Rafah crossing. Bringing the number of aid trucks to enter Gaza since the commencement of the war to 665 including over 3,000 tons of food, over 1,720 tons of medical equipment, over 600 tons of equipment for temporary shelters, and over 1.15 million liters of water. None of them carry fuel. Furthermore, Israel has opened two water pipelines to the south of the Gaza Strip, supplying about 28 million liters of drinkable water each day.
In Israel, there are voices of protest against the insertion of any humanitarian aid into Gaza, while Israel does not receive any humanitarian aid or information in return regarding the abductees and hostages held by Hamas. 32 days have passed with no word regarding the hostages. Babies, women, senior citizens, and men, all kidnapped to Gaza on Oct. 7 – Nothing has been done by the international community, the U.N., despite repeated petitions to the International Red Cross.
– In Samaria, shots were fired at a vehicle in which an Israeli man and woman and a 5-month-old baby were traveling, near the Itamar hills. Israeli Medical first responders and the army provided treatment on the spot to a man and a woman, the baby miraculously wasn’t injured, and at the same time, a pursuit of the terrorists was underway.
The ISA, IDF, and Israel Border Police officers conducted a counterterrorism operation in the Jenin camp today (Thursday). During the counterterrorism operation, soldiers exchanged fire with armed terrorists, killing over 10 terrorists and apprehending over 20 wanted suspects, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants Nur and Minur Salma. Two M-16 rifles, a “Carlo” gun, three handguns, ammo, and military equipment were also confiscated.
IDF Forces discovered and demolished an underground tunnel shaft with ready-to-use explosive devices. Additional firearms, ammo, and military equipment were discovered during searches in a building.
During the soldiers’ withdrawal, they came face to face with armed terrorists, killing two of them. Two M-4 carbines and a handgun were also seized.
Furthermore, after being identified by IDF UAVs, the IDF fought and eliminated an armed terrorist group that was endangering the soldiers in the region. As a result of the strike, several terrorists were killed.
So far, since the beginning of the war, more than 1,430 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, over 900 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas.
International Arena:
– The White House says Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza. There is no announcement regarding a prisoner exchange deal.
-German chancellor Olaf Scholz: “Germany stands by Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself against the barbaric acts of Hamas. Our thoughts are with the people whose relatives are still in captivity in Hamas. I was able to talk with some of them when I visited Israel, and their pain and concern never left me. The German government will do everything so that the captives return home”
-The Al Harir airbase hosting US troops in Iraq has once again come under attack from a UAV launched towards its location. This comes with unconfirmed reports of two other attacks on US troops in Iraq by Iranian back militias.
