Photo: Firefighters battle blazes in Kiryat Shmona after Hamas rockets struck from Lebanon. (Fire and Rescue Services)
General:
IDF Chief of Staff Hezi Halevi: “We are deepening the achievements, ready to attack in other arenas if necessary”. “We have thousands of more armaments and targets, we are ready for any development in any arena; IDF forces, regular and reserve, are deployed in a wide and strong deployment in the north”.
During the night IDF forces battled Hamas terrorists killing many of them. IDF soldiers are continuing to break through Hamas defense lines in the north of the Gaza Strip and take control of central areas in the area.
In the north, IDF forces continue to attack numerous Hezbollah targets. The IDF is responding severely to anyone who tries to undermine the security situation in the north.
– So far, according to the IDF since Saturday morning Oct. 7, 1,400 Israelis were murdered and 5,431 Israelis wounded. 332 IDF soldiers killed in action. 242 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, 8,500+ 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.
Operational Updates:
Northern Arena:
-Last night, a surface-to-air missile was launched from Lebanon toward an IDF UAV. In response, the IDF struck the terrorist cell that fired the missile and the launch site. There was no damage to the UAV. In addition, a number of launches were identified from Lebanon toward the area of Har Dov and Mount Hermon in northern Israel. They fell in open areas. IDF artillery struck the source of the launches in response.
– Ali Ramez Hamzeh was killed in an IDF strike in south Lebanon. He was a Hezbollah military commander who worked in Al-Mahdi Scouts, a Hezbollah educational organization responsible for indoctrinating Islamic Revolution values in Shiite children and creating a recruitment platform for Hezbollah’s military units.
– In addition to earlier occurrences, there has been a major escalation in the northern area since the late afternoon.
At 2:20 p.m., Hezbollah claimed to have shot down an Israeli drone with an anti-aircraft missile, which the IDF disputed, in response to IDF attacks in Lebanon.
At 12:20 p.m., an anti-tank missile was launched from the Lebanese border and struck the antenna of the IDF outpost, triggering the IDF to reply with artillery fire.
It was reported around twenty minutes later that the IDF had struck an anti-tank squad near Livna on the border with Lebanon.
Sirens were sounded throughout the north around 15:30 as anti-tank missiles were fired at IDF outposts. In response, the IDF launched an attack in Lebanon. More alarms were later sounded in the Upper Galilee as a result of Hezbollah releasing explosive-laden UAVs. In response, the IDF launched an offensive.
It was later revealed that rockets were also launched from Lebanon during the last bombardment, but they landed in an open region. An alarm was raised in Kiryat Shmona and its surroundings at about 17:00, warning of a missile and rocket fire. A building in Kiryat Shmona was later reported to have been hit and damaged in a fire. Two people were injured significantly and lightly in the event. Later, Hamas claimed responsibility for the shooting at Kiryat Shmona.
It seems that the atmosphere on the northern border is heating up ahead of the anticipated speech tomorrow by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Gaza and Southern Israel:
– Chief of Staff Hezi Halevi: “The IDF has advanced another significant step and our forces are now in the heart of a ground operation in the north of the Gaza Strip. IDF fighters have been operating in Gaza City for the past few days, encircling it from several directions, deepening the entry, and deepening the achievements. Forces are fighting in a built-up, dense, complex space, requiring very professional combat and a lot of courage.”
-The IDF forces are surging forward with the ground offensive, breaking through Hamas defense lines around Gaza City, eliminating scores of terrorists in its way, not without unfortunate casualties. Scores of Hamas terrorists were killed in the IDF onslaught.
-Yesterday, The IDF and ISA killed the Head of Hamas’ Anti-Tank Missile Unit in the Gaza Strip. Based on IDF and ISA intelligence, an IDF fighter jet struck Muhammad A’sar, the Head of Hamas’ Anti-Tank Missile Unit in the Gaza Strip. A’sar was responsible for all of Hamas’ anti-tank missile units throughout the Gaza Strip, commanded the units in routine, and assisted their activity in emergencies.
– 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.”
Gazans displayed fliers that apparently the IDF dropped in the area of the Shati refugee camp – urging them to evacuate immediately to the south because the IDF will attack Hamas terrorists in the coming hours.
-Hamas continues to demonstrate its capabilities to launch missiles into Israel in recent days. Today, rockets were launched toward the South of the Negev and Central Israel. In a volley launched this evening toward a community in the center (Shfelah area), a rocket hit a home causing major damage, no injuries were reported. Other rockets expected to hit populated areas were intercepted by Israeli air defenses. At the time of the attack on the center, an El Al flight from London landed in Eilat instead of Ben Gurion. 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.
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 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, dozens of trucks cross into Gaza daily. The IDF emphasizes that all equipment is checked before entering the Strip.
-Today Until now more than 190 trucks have crossed into the Gaza Strip. 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 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.
– The IDF forces operated tonight against the terrorist organization Hamas throughout Judea and Samaria; 49 wanted persons were arrested, of which 21 are affiliated with Hamas, and weapons were confiscated. So far, since the beginning of the war, over 1,220 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Amakim Division, with over 740 belonging to Hamas.
-In the Menashe Brigade’s counter-terrorism operation in Jenin, the security forces arrested the terrorist Ata Abu Ramila, who incited, promoted, and financed terrorism; An aircraft attacked terrorists who fired at our forces in the Jenin refugee camp.
– An Israeli was murdered this morning (Thursday) in a shooting attack near the Palestinian village of Beit Lid on the road that leads from the community of Shavi Shomron to the community of Einav in Samaria. Terrorists opened fire at the Israeli’s vehicle, causing the vehicle to overturn. Security forces are in pursuit of the terrorists.
-Police and the ISA raided an apartment in the Shoafat refugee camp and uncovered an explosives laboratory inside. In the apartment various chemical substances were found, containers, and operating instructions for making explosives. Two Shoafat residents in their 20s were arrested for questioning, in which it was discovered that they had contact with operatives of a terrorist organization in Judea and Samaria and planned to carry out a combined attack against the security forces.
Lebanon:
IDF spokesman in Arabic announced today that in recent weeks a pro-Iranian militia named Imam Al-Hussein arrived in Lebanon. This militia is originally deployed in Syria and is probably composed of Iraqis, Syrians, Lebanese, Afghans, Pakistanis, Yemenites, Sudanese, and others. According to our understanding, some of these militiamen that comprise the “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” have been operating and fighting separately since the beginning of Syria’s civil war and have been united under the “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” since 2016.
Yemen:
– Another frontier has emerged in the past few days. Yemen is developing into another front, not unlike the Lebanese front, reflected in the form of missile and UAV launches. In recent days, a cruise missile launched from the southeast toward Israeli airspace was detected by the IAF’s control and detection systems. After tracking the cruise missile’s trajectory, “Adir” (F35) fighter jets were scrambled and successfully intercepted the missile. Later that same day, the Israeli Air Force “Arrow” Aerial Defense System intercepted a surface-to-surface missile in the area of the Red Sea. The Iranian Houthi proxy, in Yemen, acknowledged their responsibility.
In accordance with the events originating from the Red Sea zone and after an assessment of the situation and as part of the increased defense effort in the area, IDF missile boats were deployed in the Red Sea area yesterday.
International Arena:
– U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that he thinks there should be a humanitarian “pause” in the conflict to allow more time to get “prisoners” out.
– Following anti-Semitic events around the world and in particular in Germany, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck stated: “The security of the State of Israel is essential to us as a country. It was the generation of my grandfathers who wanted to destroy Jewish life in Europe and Germany. Jews in Germany should not be afraid to show their religion and culture, but this fear has returned now.”Referring to the anti-Semitic incidents, he said: “Burning Israeli flags is a criminal offense, and so is the glorification of Hamas’s terrorist acts. Those who are German will stand trial for this, those who are not German risk their stay in Germany.” Germany’s interior minister: “Starting today, the activities of the terrorist organizations Hamas and the Islamist Samidoun Network are be banned.”
