General:
In the north, Israel is in a war of attrition, with Hezbollah increasing the intensity of its attacks daily. Hezbollah is trying to divert Israel from focusing on fighting Hamas while attacking IDF bases and outposts in northern Israel. Hezbollah has significantly increased its attacks against Israel, making use of missiles, mortar shells, ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles), and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Several of the launches were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array, a few landed in open areas, while one rocket exploded inside an IDF base, causing major structural damage. There were no reported injuries. Earlier this morning, a terrorist cell in Lebanon attempted to launch anti-tank rockets from the Marwahin area. The IDF attacked the cell.
In the south the IDF is continuing its offense against Hamas and PIJ terrorists in Gaza, causing critical losses to the terror organizations. The operation at Shifa Hospital is still in progress, IDF forces are operating around the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya. IDF forces continue to operate in the Gaza Strip eliminating terrorists, directing aircraft to destroy terrorist infrastructures, and locating weapons and military equipment.
Hamas still has the ability to launch missiles into Israel. However, it seems that its rocket-launching capabilities have declined. Today, Hamas launched several rockets at the communities enveloping the Gaza Strip and in the evening toward the cities in central Israel.
Of the more than 10,000 missiles and rockets fired at Israel with the intention of hitting population centers and civilians, over 1,000 fell in the Gaza Strip itself – hitting, among other things, Gaza hospitals and schools.
Since Saturday morning Oct. 7, 1,225 Israeli civilians have been murdered.
-387 IDF soldiers were killed in action.
-More than 8,650 Israelis wounded have been evacuated to the hospitals so far.
-236 confirmed abducted civilians and IDF soldiers.
-Among the murdered are 33 minors and 25 aged 80 and over.
-34 of the abductees are children and teenagers – of which 10 are under the age of 5.
-18 of the abductees are elderly people aged 75 and older.
-288 of the murdered and 15 of the missing have foreign citizenship (including dual).
-119 of the abductees have foreign citizenship (including dual citizenship).
-Since the beginning of hostilities over 10,000 rockets have been launched into Israel.
– To date, an estimated 130,000 Israelis have been officially required by a government directive to leave their homes in the communities and towns adjacent to the northern border and the Gaza Strip (97 communities in the north and south), and have since been placed in various locations across the country (70 thousand evacuees in the south, approximately 60 thousand in the north). Many more people evacuated their homes on their own initiative from communities not covered by the government’s plan, (bringing the unofficial total to 200,000 evacuees).
-360,000 Israeli IDF reservists have been recruited.
– Efforts to identify the victims continue the police update: 860 civilians murdered in the war have been identified so far.
Operational Updates:
Northern Arena:
– Since the commencement of the conflict, Hezbollah has sustained a total of 77 casualties.
A total of 40 launches from Lebanon toward Israel were detected today
– 08:10 – Mortar rounds were fired at an IDF post in Western Galilee, there were no casualties. The IDF responded with artillery fire.
– 8:40 – The IDF attacked Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in response to a rocket attack on the Biranit IDF base. As a result of the Hezbollah attack, a fire broke out in the Biranit area; IDF and firefighting forces arrived on the scene. Hezbollah accepted responsibility for three attacks against IDF outposts on the Lebanese border, claiming that in one of the attacks it fired a heavy “Burkan” rocket. The IDF Biranit base sustained extreme damage.
– 11:00 – A number of launches were detected from Lebanese territory in the Arab al-Aramshe area, Biranit, and Baram, no casualties were reported. In response to the shelling, the IDF struck a number of targets in Lebanon.
– 13:19 – Sirens were activated in Margaliot, Kiryat Shmona, and Menara. Mortar rounds and Explosive UAVs were also launched towards Israeli territory, IDF forces identified several of them and managed to shoot some of them down. No injuries or damage were reported.
In this bout, about 25 missiles and rockets and at least one drone were fired at Israel. There was damage to one house in Margaliot, but no injuries were reported. Earlier, about 10 missiles were fired toward Menara, Misgav Am and Yaftach. Due to these attacks, the Agmon Hula junction to the north, the Koach junction to the west, and the Margaliot junction were closed to traffic in all directions.
– 14:22 – Reports in Lebanon: The IDF attacked in the village of Ita a-Sha’ab, in south Lebanon. The IDF spokesperson informed that three UAVs landed adjacent to an IDF military outpost with no casualties.
Hezbollah received responsibility for today’s attacks
Gaza and Southern Israel:
– The IDF is carrying out its planned operations throughout the Gaza Strip. IDF forces are still operating in Gaza, directing aircraft to strike terrorists and terrorist infrastructure, as well as locating weapons and military equipment. Today, three more Hamas company leaders were killed by IDF Airforce jets directed by IDF and ISA intelligence. In addition, IDF troops identified a terrorist cell entering a building. The soldiers called in an Air Force strike on the building, and as a result of the strike, the terrorists were killed and a weapons arsenal where they were hiding was destroyed.
– After suffering heavy losses on October 7 – the men and women of the collection battalion of the Gaza Division are fighting in the Gaza Strip and are integrated into the ground activity. During the fighting, the forces assisted in attacking dozens of Hamas observation points and observation posts. In addition, the soldiers operate to locate Hamas terror infrastructures, and in cooperation with the intelligence corp. they assist in closing the cycle on the terror targets.
This morning, IDF forces are operating near the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, the IDF forces are conducting a tight siege on the hospital in Gaza following information regarding terrorists and tunnels on the premises. There are about 700 people inside the hospital itself, including medical staff and patients.
Human Sheild Tactics-
Hamas Tactics – Hospitals as Operational Hubs:
As part of their strategy, Hamas uses hospitals to launch attacks against Israel. Here are only a few of the hospitals that Hamas has used since the beginning of the war
Many of Hamas’s military facilities are located within or near UN facilities, mosques, schools, and other protected sites. Specifically, Hamas places key military sites and its main headquarters inside and under hospitals in order to take advantage of the protection afforded to these facilities in combat situations – thus it violates this protection.
– IDF troops are continuing their precise and focused operation against Hamas at the Shifa Hospital complex. IDF forces, through the Directorate of Coordination and Liaison to Gaza (CLA-COGAT), delivered over 6,000 liters of water and over 2,300 kg of food rations including fish, canned goods, bread, spreads, and dates to Shifa Hospital.
Last evening IDF spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari revealed irrefutable video-recorded evidence of Hamas’ deviant use of Shifa Hospital as a terror headquarters.
The 504th unit’s soldiers, field investigators, and facility investigators led the unit’s main effort from the start of the war. Throughout the fighting, the unit’s intelligence collection and influence center operates, which works for four main goals: maneuver support, intelligence to incriminate targets, influence, and leadership of the effort to evacuate the population south of the Gaza River.
In a field facility opened in the south, 300 terrorists from all the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were interrogated and they gave the locations of terrorist tunnels, warehouses, and anti-tank weapons, and revealed the enemy’s methods of operation, and the enemy’s efforts to assimilate into the civilian population.
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. Israel has agreed to allow 100 trucks a day. The IDF emphasizes that all equipment is checked before entering the Strip.
-According to the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), 964 aid trucks comprising 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 south of the Gaza Strip, supplying about 28 million liters of drinkable water daily.
– Today, the IDF led by COGAT helped facilitate the safe evacuation of newborn premature infant Gazan babies from the pediatric ward of Shifa Hospital to receive essential medical treatment in Egypt. The coordination of this vital mission was at the request of Egypt and the Director of the Shifa Hospital. The evacuation was carried out by UN teams with the assistance of IDF teams on the ground. Israeli incubators were provided to the Shifa hospital for the rescue efforts of the babies. The IDF remains steadfast in its resolve to assist in the humanitarian efforts in Gaza and its commitment to upholding human dignity and providing aid in times of crisis.
-40 trucks with equipment for the establishment of a Jordanian field hospital are expected to enter the Gaza Strip today via Rafah crossing.
– Humanitarian corridor: 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.”
– IDF spokesman in Arabic, Lt. Col. Avihai Adrei, once again addressed the residents of Gaza who had not yet evacuated and announced that the Salah al-Din Road would remain open until 16:00. In addition, Lt. Col. Adrai announced that there would be a pause in combat operations in the West Rafah area for humanitarian purposes, between the hours of 10:00 and 14:00 for humanitarian purposes.
Unit 504 used a variety of operational tools to make over 30,000 phone calls in a short period of time, send over ten million text messages, and over nine million recorded messages, and distribute approximately four million flyers and leaflets from the air and land, all in an effort to evacuate the civilian population from the northern Gaza Strip.
Since the opening of the humanitarian corridor leading from the north Gaza Strip to the humanitarian zone in the Al-Mawasi area, more than 361,500 Gazans evacuated for their safety.
–Fuel into Gaza: Hamas requires diesel fuel to power its terror tunnels’ ventilation and electrical systems, it’s for this reason Israel refuses to supply Gaza with fuel. Nevertheless, in response to a request from the US administration, Israel has agreed to permit the entry of two fuel trucks per day into the southern Gaza Strip. This constitutes a supply of fuel necessary to operate water and sewage pumps as well as for trucks carrying humanitarian aid.
There are persistent voices in Israel, civilians and members of cabinet, protesting the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite the fact that Israel receives neither humanitarian help or information about the abductees and hostages held by Hamas. Despite repeated requests to the Red Cross, which claims to have no power over Hamas, nothing has been done.
Judea and Samaria:
– The IDF and ISA are combating Hamas throughout the Central Command – 16 wanted persons were arrested throughout Judea and Samaria and the Bekaa and Amakim Brigade. A senior member of Hamas was arrested in Shevarwa in Etzion region.
Lebanon:
Reports in Lebanon: The house of Kablan Kablan, a member of the Lebanese parliament from the Amal movement, was damaged as a result of an IDF attack in, southern Lebanon. The IDF attack targeted Hezbollah sites in the Shiite village Mis al-Jabal known for its support of Hezbollah, including the use of mosques as military sites.
Additional attacks were carried out against a well-known Hezbollah site in the village of Maron al-Ras, near the Israeli border, called the Iranian Gardens, which the Iranian Foreign Minister visited only a few months ago. This site overlooks Israeli territory and is known as a place for Hezbollah’s military and civilian activities, including, among other things, gathering intelligence and holding ceremonies in support Of the Iranian regime and in memory of Qassem Soleimani.
Iran:
Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied any connection to with high jacking of the ship in the Red Sea. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, denied the Israeli Prime Minister’s claims that yesterday’s seizure of the transport ship in the Red Sea by the Houthis was an “Iranian attack”. According to him, Tehran had nothing to do with the operation.
Yemen:
Japan announced that it “strongly condemns” the Houthis’ takeover of the cargo ship in the Red Sea. The report on the takeover of the ship, which is operated by a Japanese company, was published yesterday afternoon, and shortly after that, the IDF announced that the ship is not Israeli, and that “any connection to Israel” is strictly coincidental. This, was after the Houthis believed that the ship was owned by the Israeli shipping magnate Rami Unger. On board the ship are 25 crew members of various nationalities, including Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Filipinos, and Mexicans.
The commander of the Houthis’ coast guard brigade, Muhammad al-Qadri: “Our forces are ready to carry out any mission. We are entering a new phase in which there will be a real development in the navy that is deployed in a large area. We have the weapons and missiles to deal with any development, we are able to hit at any place or time of our choosing. We warn against any foreign involvement in Yemen’s territorial waters – and there will be an appropriate response.”
