War Summary, Day One Hundred and Eighty Five: A “suspicious aerial target” entered Israeli airspace in Eilat from the direction of Iraq, a Palestinian woman attempted to stab soldiers at the Tayasir checkpoint in the Jordan Valley, and the Israeli Air Force has established a new drone squadron, the 147th Squadron.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
War Summary, Day One Hundred and Eighty Five:
133 held captive in Gaza.
112 hostages freed.
12 hostage bodies rescued.
37 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
1,489 Israelis murdered.
260 fallen soldiers in the battle in Gaza.
6 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
4 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
11,600+ injured.
13,200 estimated rockets fired at Israel.
102,100 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.
Top Headlines:
- Hamas turns down ceasefire offer
- Hamas says they don’t have 40 surviving hostages in the “humanitarian category”
- Hamas fired rockets from a humanitarian zone
- Netanyahu says there’s a date for Rafah maneuver
- Air Force eliminates senior Hezbollah commander
- In first, Israel’s Navy intercepts Iraqi “aerial target”
- Terrorists shoot at Kibbutz Meirav
Hostage Updates:
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told a class of soldiers that “there will be difficult decisions and we will be willing to pay a price in order to return the hostages, and then return to fighting. I believe we are at an opportune moment.”
Hamas rejected Israel’s most recent ceasefire and hostage deal proposal. Earlier, a spokesman for the Qatari ministry told the BBC: “The new proposal bridges the gaps in an unprecedented way, we are waiting for the parties’ response – we are not in the final news, but I am more optimistic today, the pressure from the US was decisive.” He also added, “without getting into the details, I hope we will reach an agreement on a sub-stage ceasefire, where the first stage will focus mainly on humanitarian issues.”
According to Al Jazeera, some of the details in the proposal for a hostage deal include:
- The release of 900 terrorists – including 100 prisoners with life sentences for multiple murders, in exchange for the release of 40 Israeli hostages in the humanitarian category.
- 500 trucks of aid per day
- Opening central streets to free traffic, such as the Saleh al-Din Road
- Returning Gazans unchecked to the north of the Gaza Strip (a specific number was not specified in the report).
In this proposal, the 40 hostages would only be released in a second phase.
According to a report by Yaron Avraham on Israel’s Channel 12 news this evening, Hamas has told the mediators that it does not have 40 hostages in the humanitarian category that are still alive. The “humanitarian category” is supposed to include 19 women, 2 children, 16 elderly, and a large number who have illnesses, were injured on October 7th, or have fallen ill since then. The report didn’t give a number, and Hamas has not yet even provided the IDF with a list of the hostages, never-mind their health conditions.
Gaza Front Updates:
Hamas fired one rocket towards Kibbutz Re’im. The rocket landed in an open space and no physical injuries were reported.
Thank G-d, the IDF did not announce any fallen heroes today.
The IDF identified the source of rockets fired at Israeli communities yesterday to be three launchers located adjacent to humanitarian shelters in Khan Younis. Before carrying out airstrikes to destroy the launchers, that civilians were evacuated from the area. The IDF also destroyed a fourth rocket launcher elsewhere in Khan Younis.
Amongst many Israeli airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza today, Palestinian media reports a fatal strike on a Hamas interior ministry office in Mghazi, Central Gaza. Airstrikes were also reported in Rafah.
The IDF released a video of an interrogation with Tarek Abu Shaluf, who is the spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and was arrested inside Shifa Hospital. In the video, Shaluf admits to and describes how the PIJ placed the blame on Israel when one of their own rockets misfired and hit the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital. He also said that Hamas and the PIJ use all hospitals in Gaza as bases, and take one or two offices in each ward.
In a short video statement, PM Netanyahu said “Victory requires entry into Rafah, it will happen – there is a date.” Shortly after, the Biden administration said that they did not receive any info about a date.
Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:
419 humanitarian aid trucks were inspected and transferred to Gaza today (Apr. 8). This is the highest number of aid trucks that entered Gaza in one day at any time in the last year—even before the war. When considering food imports alone (before the war half the trucks contained construction equipment), this may be 2-3 times more food than even before the war.
258 packages carrying hundreds and thousands of meals were airdropped over Gaza.
29 food trucks were coordinated to northern Gaza last night.

Northern Front Updates:
Hezbollah fired heavily on Israeli communities at the northern border, with both missiles and attack drones. One drone struck an area near Rosh Hanikra, and caused a small fire. No injuries were reported. One rocket was also fired from Syria, and landed in an empty area.
The IDF retaliated with a large number of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon.
Overnight the IDF used an airstrike in Southern Lebanon to eliminate Ali Ahmed Hassin, who was a senior field commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. Hassin’s rank was equivalent to that of a brigade commander, and he was in command of an area along Israel’s northern border called “Ramim Ridge,” to where he directed a heavy number of rockets, missiles, and attack drones on civilian communities.
Houthi & Other War Front Updates:
A “suspicious aerial target” (usually an attack drone or missile) entered Israeli airspace in Eilat from the direction of Iraq. In a first, Israel’s Navy downed the target using a ship-mounted air defense system called the C-Dome. The C-Dome, which works similarly to the Iron Dome, is deployed on the Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes.
Judea and Samaria Updates:
A Palestinian woman attempted to stab soldiers at the Tayasir checkpoint in the Jordan Valley. No soldiers were injured. It’s unclear what condition the woman is in.
Kibbutz Merav, located in Northern Israel, just outside of Judea and Samaria, is again having problems with its neighbors, and announced, “A short time ago, shots (several rounds) were fired at houses in our community from the direction of the nearby village of Jalbun. No casualties were reported.”
Jerusalem Police arrested nine illegal residents who were smuggled into Jerusalem from Palestinian areas of Judea and Samaria.
Overnight, the IDF, Shin Bet, and border police forces operated to arrest 11 wanted persons throughout Judea and Samaria for their association with terror groups, and confiscated at least one illegal gun.
International Updates:
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said at the UN: “Six months since the seventh of October and there is no condemnation of Hamas. The Security Council is only busy discussing the recognition of a Palestinian-Nazi state instead of recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization. If this happens, the UN will be remembered as an organization hijacked by dictators and human rights violators. The Security Council chooses to give a reward for barbaric acts, it does not deserve to be called the Security Council anymore. We will have to call it: the ‘Terror Council.'”
Egypt’s representative to the UN demanded “the implementation of the Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
General Updates:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tapped Brig. Gen. Roman Gofman as his next military secretary, at the recommendation of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Goffman most recently served as the commander of the Tzeelim training base. On October 7th, Goffman was severely injured in the heroic Battle of Sderot.
The Israeli Air Force has established a new drone squadron, the 147th Squadron, operating the Elbit Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle. This squadron, nicknamed “The Battering Ram,” was launched at Palmachim Airbase as part of efforts to increase Hermes 900 operations during the ongoing conflict. The Hermes 900 is utilized by the IDF for attack and surveillance missions across various regions, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Lebanon. Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, IAF chief, hailed the new squadron as a significant enhancement to operational capabilities during the current conflict.
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