War Day 198: Soldier Succumbs to Wounds, Failed Terror Attacks

War Summary, Day One Hundred and Ninety Eight: Netanyahu says IDF will soon begin to hit Hamas hard, soldier injured by Hezbollah drone succumbs to wounds, series of terror attacks in Judea and Samaria with no Israeli casualties, and the U.S. is considering sanctioning additional IDF units.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

133 held captive in Gaza.
112 hostages freed.
12 hostage bodies rescued.
37 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
1,491 Israelis murdered.
260 fallen soldiers in the battle in Gaza.
7 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
4 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
11,600+ injured.
13,430 estimated rockets fired at Israel.
102,100 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

• Netanyahu says IDF will soon begin to hit Hamas hard
• Soldier injured by Hezbollah drone succumbs to wounds
• Hezbollah downs IDF drone
• Series of terror attacks in Judea and Samaria with no Israeli casualties
• U.S. considering sanctioning additional IDF units

Gaza Front & Hostage Updates:

It was a relatively quiet day in Gaza—perhaps the quiet before the storm.

After hostage negotiations came to a complete halt, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a video message to Israelis, in which he drew subtle parallels to the story of Passover, and indicated that significant action is about to begin in Gaza.

In his words, “Instead of retreating from its extreme positions, Hamas builds on division within us, it draws encouragement from the pressures directed at the Israeli government. As a result, he only tightens his conditions for the release of our abductees. He weighs down his heart, and refuses to send our people. Therefore, we will land additional and painful blows on him – and it will happen soon. In the coming days we will increase the military and political pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to free our hostages and achieve our victory.”

The IDF reported that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi approved “plans for the continuation of the war” at the Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba earlier today. Rumors in the Arab world claim that the battle in Rafah will only be with “targeted operations,” rather than the full-scale done in other cities, due to American pressure.

A large number of reservists were told they’d be called up within the next week or two.

Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:

357 aid trucks inspected and transferred to Gaza.
135 food pallets airdropped over northern Gaza
Over night, 92 food aid trucks made their way to northern Gaza.
24 water pumping facilities were fueled in northern Gaza today (April 21), following coordination.
This will ensure a water supply for 300,000 residents in the area.
4 tankers of cooking gas designated for the operation of essential infrastructure in Gaza, entered Gaza (Apr. 20).
25 bakeries are currently operational in Gaza, providing over 3 million breads, rolls, and pita breads daily.
So far, 3,259 injured and sick individuals and 737 escorts have been evacuated from the strip.

UNRWA continues to severely misrepresent the aid delivered inside Gaza, and blame the IDF for their own failures. Today, UNRWA went as far as to write on X/Twitter that “A child is killed every 10 minutes in the
Gaza Strip.” This would mean that 144 children are killed in Gaza each day, and 28,656 since October 8th. This is double the amount that Hamas claims—and their numbers have been proven by data scientists to be impossible.

Northern Front Updates:

Both Hezbollah and Hamas’s branch in Lebanon fired on Israel’s far north today.No injuries were reported.

The IDF announced that one of the soldiers who had been injured by a Hezbollah drone in Arab al-Aramshe on the 17th has succumbed to his wounds. The hero was named as:

Maj. (res.) Dor Zimel, 27, of the Etzioni Brigade, from Even Yehuda.

Late Sunday evening, Hezbollah intercepted an IDF drone over Lebanon using a surface-to-air missile. Hezbollah claims that the drone was a Hermes 450. This is the third time Hezbollah shoots done an IDF drone. The IDF said that Air Force fighter jets attacked the launch site which had taken down the drone, and that the incident is being investigated.

Over the last 36 hours, the IDF carried out a significant number of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon, and eliminated several terrorists.

At the request of Israel, France is continuing to attempt diplomatic talks to prevent a war between Israel and Hezbollah, but Hezbollah’s attacks continue to remain strong, and slowly escalate. While a solution is needed to stop Hezbollah, Israelis are fully aware that Hezbollah is significantly better armed than Hamas, and a war with the north has potential to be very painful.

Judea and Samaria Updates:

Overnight (after Shabbat), terrorists in the Palestinian village of Jilbon shot across the green line onto homes in Kibbutz Merav in the north. A bullet hit and damaged the window of a family home, but thank G-d no one was injured. This is not the first incident of attacks on Merav from over the green line, and have sparked strong discussion in which parallels are drawn to the Gaza border communities.

This morning two Palestinian terrorists armed with a gun and a knife, attempted to stab and shoot IDF soldiers simultaneously, near Chevron (Hebron). Thank G-d, the soldiers were able to quickly eliminate the terrorists, and no soldiers were hurt.

Later, an off duty reservist saw a Palestinian flag planted illegally on a road side, and went to remove it—but when he did, an improvised device exploded, injuring him lightly. He was treated by medics on the spot, but declined being taken to the hospital. Troops were later sent to look for suspects behind the explosive.

In the evening, a Palestinian woman tried to stab troops at a checkpoint in the Jordan Valley area. She was quickly neutralized, and no troops were injured.

At night, Arab rioters from the village of Burka broke into Kibbutz Givat Oz Zion and set fire to a car belonging to one of the residents.

The IDF says it completed a 5-hour-long counterterrorism operation in Nur Shams, next to Tulkarem.during the operation clashes broke out between terrorist groups in the city, and troops eliminated 14 armed terrorists. They also arrested 15 terror suspects, confiscated weapons, and discovered and destroyed dozens of explosives.

Nine soldiers and one Border Police officer were injured in the clashes, and are listed in good and moderate conditions.

Local Palestinian media had reported that the local PIJ commander, Muhammad Jaber, had been killed in the operation—but on Sunday he was seen in footage at the funerals of the terrorists who had been killed.

Over the last few days, Border Police apprehended 491 Palestinians who were inside Israel illegally.

U.S. Sanctions:

The Times of Israel reported, according to two US sources, that the Biden administration is considering sanctions against other Israeli military and police units, in addition to the Netzach Yehuda battalion, due to allegations of human rights violations.

The mainstream Israeli political echelon, both right, left, and center, all agree that the sanctions against Netzach Yehuda are extremely dangerous, and unjustified. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says that he is working on encouraging the American administration to go back on its intention to impose the sanctions. After consulting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Gallant spoke with US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, and is expected to also speak with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Gallant emphasized that the Netzach Yehuda battalion is part of the IDF like all other units, and operates “in accordance with IDF values ​​and according to international law, and any event that deviates from the procedures is handled accordingly.”

He also praised the work of the battalion over the last six months, explaining that “The commanders and troops of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion are operating at the front of the fighting, since the outbreak of the war, they have been working to drive away Hezbollah forces on the northern border, to thwart terror elements in Judea and Samaria, and these days are working to dismantle the Hamas brigades in the Gaza Strip, while risking their lives.

“Any attempt to vilify an entire unit casts a heavy shadow on the actions of the IDF to protect the citizens of Israel and thwart terror elements. Harm to one battalion is harm to the entire defense establishment, this is not the way to behave with partners and friends.”

Some expect that the Biden administration will continue to roll out sanctions on all things connected to Judea and Samaria, in a pressure on Israel to recognize a Palestinian State. Other countries are expected to follow.

Iranian Front Updates:

Kan broadcasting revealed, according to sources in the know, that the missile which the IDF used in Iran was a locally-developed air-to-surface missile named “The Rampage.” This missile can travel at supersonic speed, making it hard for air defenses to detect, and it was designed to be able to destroy protected areas, such as bunkers. The choice in missile was a clear message to Iran.

Bloomberg news reported that Israel’s first “alleged” strike on Iranian generals in Syria had eliminated the entire upper command responsible for the activities of the IRGC in Syria and Lebanon, and dealt a crippling blow to their ability to operate in those areas.

This update is sponsored by an anonymous reader.

Wishing you a happy and kosher Pesach, and may we experience the redemption—with all the hostages and Jewish nation reunited in Jerusalem!