War Day 309: US Drops Human Rights Probe, 19 Terrorists Eliminated in School Building

War Summary, Day 309: The U.S. told Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that it has closed the investigation into the Netzach Yehuda battalion for Human Rights violations, IDF hits 19 terrorists in Gaza school building which Hamas falsely claims 100 killed, and Mikhail Samara, 27, succumbed to wounds from Tuesday attack to the North.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

War Summary, Day 309:

115 held captive in Gaza.
41 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
116 living hostages rescued.
24 hostage bodies rescued.
1,617 Israelis killed.
331 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
19 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
9 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
20,620 estimated rockets fired at Israel.
90,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

• Mediators support Hamas’s demand for the release of Marwan Barghouti
• U.S. is pressuring Iran and Hezbollah to wait for the negotiations summit
• IDF hits 19 terrorists in Gaza school building, Hamas falsely claims 100 killed
• IDF expands operations in Khan Younis
• Sirens as far as Tzfat and the area
• Mikhail Samara, 27, succumbed to wounds from Tuesday attack
• U.S. closes investigation against Netzach Yehuda battalion

Hostage Updates:

The deputy leader of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Hiya, who is staying in Qatar, called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to make a resolution calling for an unconditional cease-fire. He also called on the Arab countries, and said that their messages of condemnation aren’t enough, and they need to take further measures against Israeli embassies.

Sky News in Arabic reported that Hamas is demanding the release of Marwan Barghouti and other senior terrorist leaders from prison, as part of the first phase of a deal to release the hostages. Reportedly, the mediators, including the U.S., are in support of the demand. Barghouti is serving five consecutive life terms in Israeli prison for his role in multiple terror attacks, in which he killed at least 5 Israelis. Barghouti is extremely popular amongst citizens of the Palestinian Authority, with polls consistently showing that he would win elections as new president of the PA, if given the opportunity.

The Sky News report comes as mediators prepare for a negotiations summit on the 15th, with the goal of a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Iran & Proxies Attack Updates:

Home Front Command Instructions have not yet changed.

There are unverified reports of GPS disruption in Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan.

Iran has issued a NOTAM (notice to airman) for August 12 and 14, from 4:30AM to 1:30PM, and August 17 and 20 from 4:00AM to 7:30PM. The NOTAMs are for specific areas in Iran, and for a low altitude (up to 15,000 feet). They are likely due to training, and do not necessarily mean anything.

The U.S. and other partners are increasing international pressure on Iran and Hezbollah to de-escalate, and minimize their attacks on Israel. According to the Lebanese “Al-Jadid” channel, Arab officials contacted Hezbollah and asked them to postpone their response attack to after the August 15 summit, so that the terrorist organization is not blamed for disrupting the ceasefire negotiations. According to reports, Hezbollah has not yet returned an answer.

The Iranian delegation to the UN hinted that they may have gotten the same request, and don’t plan to follow it, when they said: “A lasting ceasefire in Gaza is a priority. Any agreement accepted by Hamas will also be recognized by us. However, the Israeli regime has violated our national security and sovereignty through its latest act of terrorism. We have the legitimate right for self-defense—a matter not at all related to the cease-fire in Gaza. However, we hope that our response will be timely and in a way that will not harm the potential cease-fire.”

If the terror groups do decide to wait until after the summit, it raises the pressure on Israel to agree to a deal, even if it is a bad one, because if not, the result will also include heavy attacks from Iran and Hezbollah.

Gaza Front Updates:

Today Hamas launched rockets at civilians in Kissufim, near the Gaza border. On Friday they launched at Kissum and nearby Ein Hashlosha, as well as at the city of Ashkelon. No physical injuries were reported.

Thank G-d, the IF did not announce any fallen soldiers today.

Four divisions of IDF troops are currently operating in Gaza: the 252nd Division along the Netzarim Corridor, and on pinpoint operations in Central Gaza; the Gaza Division in the buffer zone; the 98th Division in Khan Younis; and the 162nd Division in Rafah and along the Philadelphi Corridor. The IDF carried out a large number of airstrikes and artillery strikes today, hitting Hamas infrastructure and many terrorists—amongst them Hamas commanders of engineering and sniper units, and several terrorists who participated in the October 7th massacre.

The IDF used a precision airstrike to target a minor wing of a school building, in which Hamas terrorists were hiding, in the Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City. The IDF says it monitored the building closely, due to the presence of civilians in other wings of the building, and only carried out the strike when it was clear that no women or children would be harmed. No major damage was done to other parts of the building. The IDF published a list of 19 terrorists from both Hamas and the PIJ, who were eliminated in the airstrike.

Later, the IDF Spokesman said that according to carious intelligence indications, there is a high probability that Ashraf Judea, who was the the commander of Islamic Jihad’s Central Camps Brigade.

Immediately after the airstrike, Hamas declared that there were 100 dead, all civilians. International media reported this claim widely, and Israel received a round of international condemnation for the incident. Later, Hamas reduced their number to 40. The IDF says that the precision missiles used could not have caused the damage corresponding to the casualty reports of Hamas. Hamas also falsely claimed that its “fighters” and other co-terrorists follow a “strict policy” of avoiding be present around civilians.

An earlier airstrike on Friday eliminated Walid Alsousi, a senior member of Hamas’s general security forces, who was also responsible for building an intelligence picture of activity around Gaza, for Hamas.

An increasing number of senior terrorists are being found and eliminated over ground, as, according to IDF assessments, the terrorists are struggling to remain underground in tunnels for so long, and are therefore moving into above-ground locations, such as schools and UN sites, where they can use civilians as human shields.

The IDF confirmed that the 98th Division has returned to Khan Younis, where they are fighting Hamas terrorists above and below ground, and preventing the terrorists from regrouping in the area. This comes after several rockets were fired by Hamas terrorists in Khan Younis, towards Israel. Today, the IDF expanded the evacuation warning zone, again calling on civilians to leave Khan Younis and head to the designated humanitarian zone.

IDF troops are carrying out thorough searches in Khan Younis, based on newly gathered intelligence. Amongst other findings today, troops located a cache of weapons and other equipment belonging to Hamas, inside a tunnel under Khan Younis. Over 30 airstrikes were carried out to assist troops in Khan Younis in destroying Hamas infrastructure, and eliminating terrorist cells.

It is largely thought that Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, is hiding deep in a multi-story tunnel below Khan Younis, and may have hostages with him.

In Central Gaza, under the Netzarim Corridor, the IDF destroyed a 3-kilometer long tunnel, which included several floors and branching paths, with multiple rooms where weapons and equipment were sold. Troops thoroughly searched the tunnel before blowing it up.

In Rafah, troops are continuing with thorough searches for every tunnel, smuggling infrastructure, and weapons caches—which they find in many homes spread through every neighborhood. Troops also eliminated a number of terrorists in Rafah today,

Northern Front Updates:

Hezbollah in Lebanon continued with heavy fire on Israel’s north and upper Galilee, with both barrages of missiles and multiple attack drones. Sirens were triggered as far as Tzfat (Salad) and towns on the northern side of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). No injuries were reported in today’s attacks, but several buildings were hit—including a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, and at least four large fires broke out.

Mikhail Samara, a 27-year-old student from Kafr Yasif who was critically injured by shrapnel from a malfunctioning Iron Dome interceptor missile during a Hezbollah drone attack in the Western Galilee on Tuesday, has died from his wounds, according to hospital officials. Samara, who had recently returned to Israel from Czechia to visit his family, was injured when the interceptor missed a drone and impacted near Nahariya. He was taken to Galilee Medical Center but succumbed to his injuries. The attack also resulted in 19 other injuries, mostly minor, including six soldiers.

The IDF carried out a large number of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets across Southern Lebanon, and directly targeted and eliminated several terrorists.

On Friday, the IDF and Shin Bet announced that an airstrike in Sidon, Lebanon, eliminated Samer al-Hajj, commander of Hamas’s military forces in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian “refugee camp” near Sidon.

Once again, Lebanese locals reported IDF jets flying low over Beirut, and causing sonic booms. This type of psychological warfare is meant to deter Hezbollah from going to war with Israel, or at least to weaken their morale and support from within Lebanon.

The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel reports that the Lebanese army has suspended its patrols with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon following an incident with a patrol of the French force in UNIFIL, in the area of ​​Kfar Hammam in southern Lebanon. According to Lebanese sources, during a joint patrol conducted today by the Lebanese army and the French force, the French jeep deviated from the agreed travel route and entered “private territory”, which caused a confrontation between the Lebanese army force and the French force. The French patrol then returned to the normal route and after a few minutes the “private area” to which the French jeep diverted was attacked by an Israeli aircraft.

UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) was established in 1978, and was supposed to ensure that Southern Lebanon remained empty of terrorists who cause war with Israel.

Houthi & Iraqi War Front Updates:

US Central Command forces intercepted two Houthi attack drones (UAVs) over the Red Sea. They also destroyed one Houthi missile launcher and one unmanned Houthi vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

General Updates:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday that he has decided to end the investigation into the IDF’s Netzach Yehuda battalion regarding human rights violations in Judea and Samaria, and will not impose sanctions on the unit, according to a report by Axios’ Barak Ravid, citing two senior US and Israeli officials.