General:
Attacks near the northern border continue to escalate. Hezbollah’s provocations against IDF units in the area continued. Hezbollah terrorists launched anti-tank missiles on IDF units in the area several times today. The IDF replied vehemently, hitting terrorist squads and infrastructures with aircraft raids and artillery fire against Hezbollah strongholds.
Member of the special war cabinet, Minister Benny Gantz, visited the Northern Command, Kiryat Shmona and Metula today. At the end of his visit, he stated: “I see Nasrallah’s conduct and ask – has he lost touch with the reality on the ground? This question should now be asked by the citizens and government of Lebanon. We will not return to the reality that was here on October 6. Even here in the sector, we are acting aggressively and the goal is clear – to allow the residents to return here safely”.
IDF troops continue to battle in Gaza, causing significant losses to the Hamas terror organization. In the words of the commander of Division 162, Lt. Col. Itzik Cohen: “We have created conditions for dismantling the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas in Gaza City. Since the beginning of the war, the IDF forces and the 162nd Division forces have been dismantling Hamas’ centers and capabilities it had built over the years. From the beginning of the ground operation, the division forces eliminated over 1000 terrorists. The forces also significantly decreased missile launches towards the State of Israel from the northern Gaza Strip, reducing them by approximately 80 percent.”
– Since Saturday morning Oct. 7, 1,185 Israeli civilians were murdered, 366 IDF soldiers were killed in action and some 7,262 Israelis wounded. 238 confirmed abducted civilians and IDF soldiers. Since the beginning of hostilities 9,500+ rockets have been launched into Israel. To date, an estimated 200,000 Israelis have been displaced, required 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. 360,000 Israeli IDF reservists have been recruited.
– Efforts to identify the victims continue the police update: 859 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 74 casualties.
– After midnight, the IDF spokesman informed that a short time ago several missiles were detected from Lebanese territory towards an IDF post near Kibbutz Malkia. One of the missiles was intercepted and the rest fell in an open area. Furthermore, it was stated that yesterday evening IDF warplanes attacked Hezbollah terrorist infrastructures in Lebanon, in response to the shooting that was carried out on Israeli territory before. In the attack, several Hezbollah military headquarters where terrorists were operating were destroyed.
-Today a total of 5 incidents that Hezbollah launched ATGMs at IDF outposts.
– This morning, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and mortar bombs at IDF outposts in the northern Israeli towns of Margaliot, Arab al-Aramshe, Yiftach, Shomera, and Mattat. The IDF targeted the Lebanon-based launchers. Furthermore, Israeli fighter jets attacked Hezbollah terrorist facilities in Lebanon. An IDF tank also struck a terrorist group that intended to launch anti-tank missiles from Lebanon onto the Yiftach area in northern Israel.
-10:00: An aerial interception was carried out in the Acre area over the sea. No alert was triggered according to policy.
-This evening, the IDF attacked a Hezbollah observation outpost in Lebanon. In addition, launches were detected towards the Har Dov area and towards the Margaliot area. Correspondingly, terrorists fired small arms towards the Misgav-Am area. The IDF attacked the sources of the shooting.
Gaza and Southern Israel:
Hamas continues to launch rockets towards Israel, with the vast majority being intercepted by the IDF’s Aerial Defenses. Rockets headed toward open areas are not intercepted according to protocol. Unfortunately, several rockets penetrated Israeli defenses exploding within Israeli-populated cities. causing injuries and damage to citizen’s homes and cars.
Hamas’ psychological assault against the Israeli public continues: Cpl. Noa Marciano, an IDF soldier, who served as a border observer, kidnapped to Gaza on October 7th, was declared KIA today by the IDF. Yesterday Hamas released a disturbing video of her in captivity. Hamas is attempting to strum on the soldier’s family and the Israeli public’s emotions.
– IDF soldiers of the Negev Brigade and reservists from the Givati Brigade uncovered a terrorist tunnel shaft – inside a mosque; At the same time, ground forces directed planes and combat helicopters that attacked an anti-tank squad that fired at them. During the night, the forces of the naval arm attacked a military camp and weapons depot used by the Hamas naval array, for training purposes and the storing of weapons.
– In recent days, soldiers from the 7th Brigade and the Golani Brigade conducted raids on Hamas governance institutions used for military purposes in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal. The 7th Brigade combat team seized the Hamas legislative, the government building, the Hamas police headquarters, and an engineering faculty that acted as a weapons production and development institute. The fighters seized possession of the “Jizat” facility, which has Hamas training facilities, operations headquarters, interrogation facilities, and detention facilities. On the site, Hamas weapons, training, and study materials were discovered. Furthermore, Golani’s brigade combat team fighters raided Hamas’ Governor’s House building, which is used as a terrorist facility and contains military and police offices, military intelligence offices, headquarters, and other outposts, including outposts used by the terrorist organization Hamas for training in preparation for the infiltration of Israel on Saturday, October 7.
– Soldiers of the infantry school brigade’s combat team raided the headquarters of Ayman Nofal, a Hamas brigade commander who was killed in IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip.
-The forces of Division 162 are significantly damaging the terrorist infrastructure and operational capabilities of Hamas. So far, the forces of the division have located more than 160 tunnel shafts, attacked about 2800 terrorist infrastructures, and eliminated about 1000 Hamas terrorists and commanders. As part of the division’s activities in the Gaza Strip, Division 162 forces raided strategic and essential Hamas assets, among them: Force 17 outpost, Hamas’s security quarter, Rantisi Hospital, which was used by the terrorist organization for military activity and holding hostages, the Badr outpost and the notorious Shatti outpost.
-Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat was targeted twice today by projectiles from locations yet to be determined. No injuries or damage were reported from the earlier morning attack, and the IDF aerial defense system has been activated for the second incident which occurred around 20:00.
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.
-It should be emphasized that the apparently low number of aid trucks that have entered the Gaza Strip thus far is due to donor countries failing to supply the required amount of aid that they themselves demand to be brought into the Gaza Strip. All humanitarian assistance is dependent on these donor countries. Israel on its part is ready to allow 100 aid trucks a day.
-Yesterday, 143 aid trucks reached Gaza an unprecedented number. According to the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), over 990 trucks of 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 to the south of the Gaza Strip, supplying about 28 million liters of drinkable water each day.
– 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.”
– according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 200,000 residents of the northern Gaza Strip left their homes within ten days.
– According to estimates: in the last week more than 200 thousand Gazans evacuated south through the humanitarian corridors.
In recent days, a senior officer in Israel’s Coordination and Liaison Administration to Gaza spoke with the manager of the Shifa Hospital multiple times and presented him with possible passages from the hospital. Furthermore, yesterday, following the IDF’s offer of humanitarian aid to the Shifa Hospital’s director general, the IDF launched a humanitarian operation to coordinate the delivery of incubators from an Israeli hospital to the Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF remains dedicated to honoring its moral and professional obligations to differentiate between civilians and Hamas terrorists. The IDF is willing to collaborate with any reputable intermediary to guarantee the incubators’ transfer.
– Once more, IDF Spokesman in Arabic, Lt. Col. Avihai Adrei, announced that the Salah al-Din route is also open today between 09:00 and 16:00 for the passage of residents to the south. At the same time, he announced that the route of the coastal road in Gaza – is open for passage to the south between 10:00-16:00 and that there will be a pause in the fighting in the neighborhood of Darje Tupah between 10:00-14:00, for humanitarian purposes.
-The IDF Spokesman in Arabic, Lt. Col. Avihai Adrai, addressed the residents of Tel Elhua, Sabra, and West Zaytun neighborhoods in Gaza City – and called on them: “to evacuate urgently from the residential areas via the Salah al-Din axis by 16:00 and reach the southern Wadi Gaza and the humanitarian zone. In his statement, he emphasizes: “Do not submit to the dictates of Hamas which exposes you to danger”
–Fuel into Gaza: Hamas requires diesel fuel to power its terror tunnels’ ventilation and electrical systems. For this reason, Israel refuses to allow the transfer of fuel into the Gaza strip.
However, 3 nights ago, the IDF coordinated the transfer of fuel for urgent medical use to the Shifa Hospital. Early in the morning, IDF troops endangering themselves deep in enemy territory arrived near the entrance of the hospital and placed 300 liters of fuel for urgent medical purposes. Later, the IDF received evidence that Hamas officials prevented the hospital from receiving the fuel.
There are voices in Israel 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:
– IDF soldiers of the Kafir Brigade operated in the refugee camp near Tulkarem. During the night, the soldiers uncovered IEDs and interrogated wanted persons. 5 terrorists were killed in an IDF airstrike and in an exchange of fire with the forces on the ground.
– So far, since the beginning of the war, about 1,700 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Amakim Division, about 950 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas.
– The IDF and the ISA security forces destroyed the home of another Hamas terrorist in Kfar Urif in Samaria – who carried out the shooting attack at the gas station near Ali in June, 20.
Jordan:
– King Abdullah of Jordan rejected any plan by Israel to occupy parts of the Gaza Strip or create security zones within it. Furthermore, the King was quoted saying: “there is no military or security solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”
Yemen:
– Yemen’s Houthi leader said on Tuesday his forces would make further attacks on Israel and they could target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
International Arena:
– The international effort to free the abductees in Gaza: Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and the families of the abductees will meet with the president of the Red Cross, Ms. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, in Geneva.
– To enable medical support for the Gaza population, the process to establish a Turkish field hospital and a United Arab Emirates field hospital in the Gaza Strip is now being accelerated. Representatives of these two countries are expected to enter Gaza tomorrow, in order to initiate the move.
– The UK and US have targeted Hamas with a new tranche of sanctions today, restricting the terror group’s ability to operate, imposing sanctions against four senior leaders of Hamas and two financiers of the terrorist organization, including Yahya Sinwar.
