During an IDF operation in Gaza, the bodies of hostages Eden Zakaria (27) who was taken hostage from the Re’im music festival, and (SGM) Ziv Dado from the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion were recovered by IDF Special Forces and brought back to burial in Israel. The operation that enabled the bodies to be located, claimed the lives of IDF soldiers (MSG) Gal Meir Eisenkot and (MSG) Eyal Meir Berkowitz.
Northern arena:
Hezbollah has seemingly increased its attacks against Israel over the past few days. Yesterday and today a large number of rockets, anti-tank missiles, and UAVs were launched toward communities in Israel. Some 15 houses in the community of Metula suffered direct ATGM strikes, causing considerable damage.
This morning, due to a suspicious aerial target intrusion, sirens sounded in the northern communities of Arab Al-Aramshe Admit, Eylon, Hanita, Gornot HaGalil, Yaara, and Goren. Subsequently, the communities of Abirim, Netu’a, Fassuta, and Elkosh, were also put on alert.
Fifteen minutes later, again, due to the intrusion of another suspicious aerial target approaching Israel, sirens resounded in the communities of Even Menachem, Zarit, Shtula, and Shomera.
Interceptors were launched at the targets and the incidents were concluded.
Just after 13:00, rockets were launched from Lebanon in the direction of the central-northern communities of Shlomi and Bar`am and towards the western Galilee communities. Sirens were sounded in Bustan HaGalil, Kibbutz Shomrat, Acre, and Betzet, due to the danger of falling fragments from the interceptors. And then again, two hours later, an ATGM was fired into the community of Bar’am, striking a home and causing serious damage. IDF artillery engaged in the attack’s origins.
In all the above incidents, no physical injuries were reported.
Reports from Lebanon state that the IDF attacked the area of al-Labbouneh and the outskirts of Naqoura with artillery. Furthermore, the Lebanese “Al-Mayadeen” network, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that Israel attacked a house with a UAV in the town of Blida in the Marjayoun District in southern Lebanon.
Since this morning, (17:30) Hezbollah has accepted responsibility for 8 attacks against Israeli outposts on the Lebanese border.
South/ Gaza:
IDF operations against Hamas continue in the Gaza Strip. The IAF destroyed several launch positions used for firing missiles at Israel from within the Gaza Strip. During a targeted assault on a Hamas compound, the IDF forces discovered about 250 operational rockets, shells, RPGs, hand grenades, rockets, and M72 LAW rockets. In addition, Israeli naval forces detected and destroyed a terrorist cell in the Gaza Strip that was firing on IDF forces.
During their operations in the Jabalya region of the northern Gaza Strip, IDF soldiers discovered several Hamas weapons caches and combat posts near a school and residential area. That further exemplifies the malevolent manner in which Hamas employs civilians as human shields. RPG missiles and launchers, incendiary devices, grenades, AK-47 rifles containing ammunition, and military vests were among the weapons cache that was discovered. All the terrorist infrastructures discovered were located near civilian structures and infrastructures.
Over the last week, the Paratroopers Brigade conducted operations in the central Gaza City neighborhoods of Zaytun and Shuja’iyya. The forces destroyed four major networks of underground tunnels, eliminated terrorists, and detained terrorists for questioning.
Yemen/Red Sea:
Yesterday at 16:00, a cruise missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck the Strinda a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, causing fire and damage but no casualties. The attack took place about 100 km north of the Bab al-Mandab strait. The tanker was scheduled to anchor in the Israeli port of Ashdod early next month. A spokesperson for the Houthis accepted responsibility for the attack, calling it: “a qualitative military operation.” The destroyer USS Mason was in the area and was called to provide assistance.
At the same time, explosions were reported in Yemen’s port city of Hodeida in the west of the country.
The French Defense Ministry stated that the Strinda came under “a complex aerial attack coming from Yemen” and that its FREMM Languedoc frigate shot down a UAV heading toward the Norwegian-flagged oil tanker.
Political:
President Biden, at the White House reception marking of Hanukkah, stated that the US will continue to supply arms to Israel until Hamas completely destroyed.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on behalf of the Mossad after the foiling of a terrorist attack on Israelis in Cyprus stated: “The Iranian presence in Northern Cyprus, and the use of this area in the past and present both for terrorist purposes and as an arena of activity and beyond to harm Israeli and Jewish targets, is a troubling issue.”
The spokesman for the US National Security Council, John Kirby, stated, in regards to the Houthis’ threat on the Israeli ships in the Red Sea: “The Houthis are “clearly a risk to the potential widening and deepening of the conflict. We are working with other countries to strengthen security in the region and protect ships. We are telling others – and Iran as well – that we do not want to see a conflict added or the conflict expands but we will do everything to protect our interests.”
The UN General Assembly will convene at 22:00 for an emergency discussion on the situation in the Gaza Strip. Calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Moreover, the proposal demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the guarantee of humanitarian access. The US, for its part, submitted a request to amend the proposal, which condemns the terrorist attack by Hamas.
@Israel_Alma_org:
Iranian airline, Mahan Air and its affiliation to the IRGC:
