War Summary, Day One Hundred and Sixty Two: The head of the Mossad is expected to resume talks and arrive tomorrow in Qatar to discuss Hamas’ newest response, the first shipment of aid by sea arrived on Friday, and on Shabbos afternoon, a Palestinian terrorist in Chevron stood in a cemetery and opened fire on the Jewish quarter.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
War Summary, Day One Hundred and Sixty Two:
134 held captive in Gaza.
112 hostages freed.
11 hostage bodies rescued.
34 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
1,400+ Israelis murdered.
249 fallen soldiers in the battle in Gaza.
6 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
3 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
14,900 injured.
14,000 rockets fired at Israel.
102,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.
Hostage Updates:
The head of the Mossad is expected to resume talks and arrive tomorrow (Sunday) in Doha to discuss Hamas’ newest response with the Prime Minister of Qatar and Egyptian officials.
On Friday, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office had said that “Hamas’s demands are still unrealistic” but that Israel would still send a delegation to Qatar after the security cabinet discusses the country’s position on the matter. Discussions will be held on Sunday.
The Saudi television network “Al-Arabiya” reported that “there is still no breakthrough in the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages.” According to the report, which cited Egyptian officials: “There are obstacles that prevent reaching an agreement.”
Gaza Front Updates:
On Friday night, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) fired missiles on Sderot, where over 50% of residents, mostly young families with school children, have returned home. On Shabbat, Hamas fired at Kibbutz Nachal Oz. On Friday the IDF reported that moments after the attack, it struck the rocket launcher in northern Gaza which was used to attack Sderot.
Thank G-d, the IDF did not announce the names of any fallen soldiers in Gaza since Monday.
On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that he had approved plans for action in Rafah, and that the IDF is preparing for both the operational side and for the evacuation of the population. It is unknown if the IDF will concede to The U.S.’s demands of limited ”counterterrorism-like” operation rather than a complete war in the likes of what the IDF has done in the rest of Gaza, and which the War Cabinet has stressed is mandatory in order to completely dismantle Hamas. It is also unknown when it will begin.
The IDF is continuing with the steady increase in operations in various areas across Central Gaza, some with troops on ground, and some areas only by airstrikes. Two Hamas battalions are strill standing in Central Gaza, the last remaining outside of Rafah. Over 250 Hamas terrorists were eliminated in the area over the last week. The last two nights saw a strong increase in airstrikes on terror targets in the area, including an airstrike based on intelligence provided by a Hamas terrorist who had surrendered, which led to the elimination of 15 terrorists who were holed up in one building. Aside from airstrikes, at least 10 additional terrorists were eliminated today by troops on ground.
The IDF is now operating long the “Netzarim Corridor,” a road of which some is newly paved by the IDF and some existed prior. The road extends from Kibbutz Be’eri on Israel’s border with Gaza, and goes straight to the coast, splitting between northern and Central Gaza, and allowing the IDF easier access to carry out quick raids in the area. Over the last week, combat engineers from the Nachal Brigade have been using the route to destroy Hamas infrastructure in the area, including rockets, launchers, and weapons depots.
In Southern Gaza, near Hamad, troops found a 200-meter-long Hamas tunnel underneath a bell pepper field. The tunnel contained significant weapons belonging to Hamas, and was later destroyed by the IDF.
In Khan Younis, troops located a Hamas weapons depot, and called an airstrike to destroy it. Another airstrike was called by troops on two Hamas terrorists inside a building which they were seen frequenting, and which was known to be used by Hamas.
Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:
On Friday:
115 tons of aid arrived by sea, donated by the UAE, which was distributed in Northern Gaza via 12 trucks
1,730 tonnes of aid entered via land crossings
140 packages of humanitarian aid were airdropped by Jordan.
On Shabbat the US Army dropped over 35,700 ready-to-eat American meals and 31,800 bottles of water into northern Gaza.
As per an arrangement with the UN, to give the UN time to distribute aid piling up in Gaza, supplies don’t enter by land from Israel on Shabbat.
The first shipment by sea arrived on Friday, after a ship organized by World Central Kitchen (WCK) towed a barge of humanitarian aid funded by the UAE to the Gaza coast. The aid first underwent a “comprehensive security check” by Israeli security in Cyprus. The IDF emphasized that the maritime aid shipment was coordinated with Israel, and did not violate the IDF’s security barricade.
PM Netanyahu announced at a recent government cabinet meeting that in the near future he intends to appoint a civilian planner to handle the humanitarian aid entering Gaza in place of the military.
After Hamas accused Israel on Thursday night of killing dozens or hundreds of civilians who were lining up to receive aid, the IDF provided video evidence that Hamas gunmen who hijacked the aid had shot into the crowds of civilians who had come to raid it. Other civilians were killed when the truck drivers drove over them. No IDF soldier opened fire anywhere near the convoy.
Northern Front Updates:
Hezbollah fired two Burkan rockets towards the Kiryat Shmona area, no hits were reported.
Civilians found an attack drone in the Ramat Furia area near the Kineret (Sea of Galilee). Israel Police collected the drone and it was handed over to the security forces for investigation. It was later blown up by a saboteur.
The IDF responded to attacks with airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Southern Lebanon, and shelled positions along the border. The strikes were at a decreased rate, matching Hezbollah’s de-escalation. No attacks were made on buildings where Hezbollah terrorists were in hiding.
Rockets were launched from Syria into the Golan Heights. Syrian reports indicate that the IDF responded with airstrikes on a military site in the Doraa area in southern Syria and in the Damascus area. The IDF doesn’t always report their strikes in Syria.
Syrian sources also report that near midnight US drones attacked a military truck belonging to a pro-Iranian militia from Iraq that entered eastern Syria.
Houthi War Front Updates:
The Houthis fired three anti-ship missiles from Yemen towards the Red Sea – no casualties or damage were reported.
According to various Arab reports, the US and Britain attacked areas in southern Al-Hudaydah, which are controlled by the Houthis, four times.
Palestinian sources told the Associated French Press that officials from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front (PFLP) met last week with Houthi militiamen to discuss coordination mechanisms for the next stages of the war. According to the report, the militia emphasized that they will continue aggressively along the Red Sea routes. The parties also discussed further actions in the case of an Israeli operation in Rafah.
Judea and Samaria Updates:
On Shabbat afternoon, a Palestinian terrorist in Chevron (Hebron) stood in a cemetery and opened fire on the Jewish quarter. He was eliminated by nearby IDF troops without any Injuries to Israelis. The terrorist was later identified as Sheikh Mahmoud Nofal, the imam of the Al-Qassem Mosque in Chevron.
Muslims in Israel, and those from Judea and Samaria who obtained entry permits, chose to ignore Hamas’s calls for Ramadan riots, and on Friday, 60,000 Muslims prayed peacefully on Temple Mount, under the protection of Israeli police.
According to Palestinian reports, the IDF operated in Shechem (Nablus) and Jenin overnight.
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