Gaza Strip: The IDF continues to operate across the Gaza Strip, engaging in battles in five separates locations; in northern Gaza the IDF is fighting in Jabalya, Shajaiya, Bet Hanoun and Shita; in the south it is now in the heart of Khan Yunis.
- Overall the IDF confirmed they have struck 450 targets in the last day, killing “numerous terrorists”.
- The IDF, “struck from the air, sea, and ground as IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip continued extensive battles with terrorists. The troops continue to operate to locate and destroy underground tunnel shafts, weapons, and additional terror infrastructure.”
- In addition, “Israeli Navy forces used precise ammunition to strike dozens of terror infrastructure sites used by the Hamas naval forces in the central and southern Gaza Strip…included observation posts, and storage compounds containing weapons.”
- For the first time footage emerged of dozens of men stripped down to their underwear, handcuffed and blindfolded, having surrendered inside Jabaliya.
- There was also more “close-quarter combat” in Shajaiya. Forces continued to expose tunnel shafts, including inside a school, and rocket launchers in the area.
- During the day an additional seven tunnel shafts were found, and troops “eliminated dozens of terrorists and located a large amount of ammunition, explosives and weapons.”
- The IDF released body camera footage they found on a combatant having eliminated the cell armed with RPGs and AK-47s.
- Hamas continues to launch rockets into Israel, some launched from within the declared humanitarian safe zone in the south. According to the IDF 12 rockets were fired from there towards Beer Sheva.
- The IDF also revealed that earlier in the week, the Air Force “eliminated Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a senior terrorist operative from Hamas’ military intelligence unit. Rantisi had been responsible for field intelligence in the Gaza Strip and participated in the planning of the October 7th massacre.”
- Five more IDF soldiers have been killed in action over the last day. This included the son of former IDF Chief of Staff and current minister in the war cabinet Gadi Eisenkot. 91 IDF personnel have fallen since the ground incursion began.
Northern front: Hezbollah continues its same pattern of attacks across the northern border.
- On Thursday Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 12 separate attacks.
- A 60 year old farmer was killed in Matat by an anti-tank missile. Four Israeli civilians have been killed in the north since the war began.
- In another attack two IDF soldiers were wounded near Shtula.
- The IDF continues to respond and strike Hezbollah positions. Overall atleast 93 Hezbollah fighters have been killed so far. In addition, Islamic Jihad confirmed two of their operatives were also killed yesterday in southern Lebanon.
- There were also three rockets fired from Syria, landing in open areas in the Golan Heights.
Context: Israel has now been at war for two months during which the IDF have hit over 20,000 targets inside the Gaza Strip.
- The IDF has killed an estimated 6,000 combatants, also injuring several thousand. The overall Palestinian death toll is estimated at over 15,000. Whilst the Israeli public is less exposed to the suffering of the Palestinians, there is sympathy for the plight of Gazan civilians, as most see Hamas to blame for having initiated the war.
- Channel 12 News included the assessment that the IDF have killed 2 out of the 5 Hamas division commanders, 20 of the 24 battalion commanders and almost 50 per cent of junior field commanders. Approximately 70 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza are estimated to be uninhabitable.
- On Arab media there are growing examples of Gazans blaming Hamas for initiating this disaster on their own people, whist their leaders continue to hide underground. Hamas operatives have also been accused of diverting the Humanitarian Aid, earmarked for the civilian population.
- The surrender of around 150 men in Jabalya is an important development. Most of them are thought to be combatants, but that will be confirmed as they are processed. Although this is just the first instance, it’s a significant indicator of breaking Hamas’s fighting spirit.
- The fighting in Khan Yunis is now considered a decisive battle, central to the war aim of defeating Hamas. On a tactical level, an IDF victory would leave the rest of the southern Hamas battalions isolated.
Looking ahead: The Israeli leadership has not set any time limit on the operation, with fighting in Khan Yunis expected to continue till the end of the year and possibly beyond.
- While Israel has retained the support of key allies including the US and UK, it is not considered to be indefinite, with speculation that the IDF will have until the end of 2023. The international community is particularly troubled by the conditions of Gaza’s civilian population, which has led to Israel allowing in more fuel, despite concern that some will be taken by Hamas to support their fighting capacity.
- Israel is still waiting for the Red Cross to be allowed access to visit the remaining 138 Israeli hostages, still captive inside Gaza.