Photo by Magen David Adom: A direct impact by a rocket on a home in Kiryat Shmona – 29 October 2023.
General Assessment:
Today’s Headline:
Speaker of the Lebanese House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, called for holding a joint session between the parliamentary committees and the Lebanese government in order to discuss a national emergency plan, to enhance preparedness to confront the repercussions of any Israeli aggression, in light of the recent developments in the region, and the consequences of the ongoing escalation on the southern border with occupied Palestine.
General:
We are at the beginning of the fourth week of the war since Hamas’ horrendous attack on Israel. IDF ground forces have entered Gaza confronting and killing Hamas terrorists. The IDF is progressing through the stages of the war according to its plan. During the night, the IDF increased its forces’ assault into the Gaza Strip, joining forces presently fighting there. IDF aircraft hit more than 450 Hamas military objectives. The ground campaign is challenging and risky, but the IDF has assured that it will do everything in its power, from the air, sea, and land to secure the security of its men to fulfill the war’s objectives.
Hamas has continued to demonstrate its capabilities to launch missiles into Israel in recent days. Today, rockets were launched into the south and center, with the majority intercepted by Israeli air defenses; the few rockets that penetrated the air defense array inflicted damage to property.
In the north, Hezbollah is continuing its offensive campaign against Israel. In response to the rocket and mortar fire from Lebanon during the past day, IDF fighter jets struck a number of military targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon. During the strikes, Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure was targeted, including a military compound and observation posts.
The Goals of the War as presented by the IDF:
- Destroying Hamas’ apparatus – No more Hamas rule over the Gaza Strip.
- Annihilating Hamas and PIJ’s military and administrative capabilities.
- Distancing and removing all threats from the Gaza Strip.
- Deterring the enemy from escalating the northern arena: Maintaining stability in Judea & Samaria and throughout Israel.
- Bringing home, the hostages held in Gaza.
In addition to IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Daniel Hagari’s exposés of Hamas’ use of Shifa Hospital to conceal its headquarters, terrorists, and armaments, the IDF and IAS disclosed new information about Hamas’ use of Shifa Hospital, including videoed statements of captured Hamas terrorist.
– So far, according to the IDF since Saturday morning Oct. 7, 1,400 Israelis were killed, among them 311 fallen soldiers. 3,900 Israelis wounded. 230 confirmed abducted, and 100 missing. Since the beginning of hostilities, Thousands of rockets have been launched into Israel.
Operational Updates:
Northern Arena:
-During the past 24 hours, the IDF successfully targeted a considerable number of anti-tank missile squads attempting to launch against Israel. Throughout today, IDF forces struck several terrorist cells attempting to launch anti-tank missiles from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory.
– At 10:30 a.m., Hezbollah terrorists fired small arms at an IDF outpost near Misgav Am on the Lebanese border. In response, the IDF launched an offensive. At 13:15 several anti-tank missiles were detected launched from Lebanon towards the Mount Dov region. The missiles landed in an open space. The IDF fired back at the missile sites. After almost two hours, the IDF attacked an anti-tank unit that attempted to fire on Avivim. Five rockets fell in an open area near an outpost in the Upper Galilee in the afternoon. The incident resulted in no injuries. Alarms were sounded in the Upper Galilee at 17:00. Two interceptions were recorded heard over Rosh Pina, one of which landed in an open area. The IDF responded to the shooting’s sources. Six rockets were launched at Kiryat Shmona for around 30 minutes, one rocket penetrated the air defense array and inflicted damage to a home. Following the event, the IDF replied with fire. Alarms were sounded in the Western Galilee at 18:15, but no reports of fallen rockets have yet been received. According to news outlets, the military arm of Hamas in Lebanon accepted responsibility for launching rockets towards Nahariya, and an Islamic organization called Al Fajr took responsibility for the shooting at Kiryat Shmona. Altogether, IDF spokesperson announced that 10 rockets were fired this evening from Lebanon.
-The IDF responded with strikes deep into Lebanon reaching as far as 30 kilometers north of the border. IDF forces attacked a terrorist squad earlier today that tried to launch anti-tank missiles in the Yakinton area. In addition, an IDF unmanned aircraft attacked a terrorist identified as an enemy drone operator moving towards Israeli territory in the border area. Another terrorist who approached the border area has also been confirmed dead by IDF actions.
-Since yesterday, the total count of Hezbollah terrorists killed since the beginning of hostilities stands at around 50+.
Lebanon:
The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, affirmed in a letter responding to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf that he supports any action taken by Hezbollah if the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip continues. In light of this, the Speaker has called for a meeting in the parliament to discuss a national emergency plan to confront Israeli aggression.
Some of Hezbollah’s goals can be realized by reading the following statement from Senior Hezbollah official, Nabil Kaouk: “The resistance will continue to act until the aggression against Gaza is thwarted. The US intervention means that Israel is unable to defend itself.” According to Kaouk, “One of the most important results of this campaign is that the normalization (i.e., Saudia Arabia) with the ‘entity’ has collapsed.”
Iran:
Iranian President Raisi: “The Zionist regime crossed the red lines, which could push us all to action. The US asked us to do nothing – but continues to support Israel extensively. The US sent a message to the Axis of Resistance, but received a clear response on the battlefield”
Gaza and Southern Israel:
During the past 24 hours, as part of the increased ground operations the IDF struck over 450 terror sites in the Gaza Strip belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization, including operational command centers, observation stations, and anti-tank missile launch sites. IDF Air Force aircraft directed by the IDF attacked military buildings of Hamas, some of which were housing Hamas terrorists. The forces eliminated terrorists who shot at IDF forces as well as terrorists identified on the coastline in the Zikim area in the Gaza Strip.
IDF forces killed 20 Hamas terrorists who emerged from an underground terror tunnel in the north of the Gaza Strip attempting to attack IDF troops. The incident took place inside the territory of the Gaza Strip.
An IDF officer was critically injured overnight after being hit by a mortar round in the northern Gaza Strip.
IDF spokesperson posted infographics regarding Hamas terrorists that were eliminated by the IDF and ISA.
-Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has identified hundreds of failed Hamas rocket launches that fell inside the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring Gazans. 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.
– The IDF has repeatedly urged 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. Simultaneously, Hamas terrorists attempt to impede their evacuation through persuasion or force, to exploit these civilians as “human shields.”
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, today another 50 trucks will cross into Gaza.
Today UNRA announced that thousands of civilians in Gaza broke into aid warehouses and distribution centers and stole flour and equipment. This unusual announcement should be taken with a grain of salt and may be part of Hamas propaganda. If true, Hamas may be losing its iron grip on the Gaza population.
A report in the Al-Arabi Al-Jadid newspaper: Egypt warned Israel not to carry out a military operation in the area of the Philadelphi Corridor, (a narrow strip of land, 14 km in length, situated along the border between Gaza Strip and Egypt) and rejected its apology regarding the accidental firing of an IDF tank at an Egyptian military position near the Rafah crossing.
Judea and Samaria:
Over last night, the IDF and ISA arrested 23 wanted persons and confiscated numerous weapons throughout Judea and Samaria and the Bekaa and Amakim Brigade.
International Arena:
-The Saudi Defense Minister, Prince Khaled bin Salman, is expected to meet tomorrow in Washington with senior American government officials, including US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
– The US aircraft carrier Eisenhower crossed the Straits of Gibraltar on its way east and south toward the Red Sea.
– The pro-Iranian militias announced an attack using two UAVs against the base of American forces in al-Shadadi in eastern Syria.
