War Day 423: Hezbollah Fires Rockets During Ceasefire, Trump Threatens Hamas

War Summary, Day 423: Trump threatens to severely punish those responsible for taking the hostages if they aren’t released before he takes office,  IDF demands aid organizations stop employing terrorists, Hezbollah breaks ceasefire many times since it started, IDF forces an Iranian flight suspected to be bringing arms to Hezbollah to turn around, and ironically Syria’s Assad quietly appeals to Israel for assistance against the rebels. 

By Mrs. Bruria Efune 

101 held captive in Gaza.

37 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza. 

117 living hostages rescued.

37 hostage bodies rescued.

1,776 Israelis killed.

385 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.

82 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.

14 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.

30,650 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.

88,000 Israelis displaced from their homes. 

1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

– Proof of life of hostage Edan Alexander

– Hostage Cpt. Omer Maxim Neutra killed

– Negotiations progressing

– Trump makes strong threat to Hamas for holding hostages 

– October 7th terrorist eliminated, employed by the World Central Kitchen

– String of severe ceasefire violations from Hezbollah, followed by IDF attacks in response

– Significant escalation after Hezbollah fires mortars at IDF border position

– Iranian flight turned around

– Terror attack in Samaria

– Airstrike eliminated terrorists in Samaria

Hostages:

Hamas released a cruel propaganda video, with significant evidence that it was filmed recently, of Israeli-American hostage, Edan Alexander. Alexander is 20 years old, and was taken hostage on October 7th, as an IDF soldier who was deployed on the Gaza border.

The IDF announced that Cpt. Omer Maxim Neutra, 21, was found to have been killed by Hamas on October 7th, before he was taken hostage to Gaza. Newly found intelligence allowed the IDF rabbinate to declare his death according to Jewish law, allowing his family to mourn.

Negotiations for a hostage deal are ongoing, recent reports indicated that Hamas lowered its demands and implied that they may be willing to accept a deal in which the IDF remains in the Philadelphi Corridor. This was before Monday evening, when President-elect Trump put out a very strong statement, threatening to severely punish those responsible for taking the hostages if they aren’t released before he takes office. 

Trump’s strong threat came after Sara and Yair Netanyahu were spotted sitting with him at Trump International Golf Course. The strong statement finally returns the upper hand to Israel, who may be able to negotiate a better deal now.

Gaza:

The IDF announced the name of one fallen hero in the battle in Northern Gaza:

Staff Sgt. Zamir Burke, 20, from Beit Shemesh

Hamas fired rockets at Israeli border communities twice on Shabbat, and once on Monday afternoon. The Monday launch came from Khan Younis, and hours after, the IDF called on Gazan civilians in the area to immediately evacuate the area, for their own safety.

The IDF is continuing to operate across Gaza, with soldiers on ground in Northernmost Gaza, the Netzarim Corridor (which divides the north of Gaza from the center and south), and in Rafah.

In Northernmost Gaza: Troops are still searching for and eliminating terrors holdouts, who are in turn hiding explosive traps and hiding rocket launchers in buildings throughout the area. The terrorists in this area know that this is their last stand, and they’re about to meet their end, and are therefore acting brazenly. This means that troops need to act with extreme caution, and use drones to search every area before entering, even if the area was previously cleared.

An IDF airstrike on Thursday eliminated terrorists in Jabaliya while they attempted to launch rockets.

In Central Gaza: The IDF used a precision strike to hit primed rocket launchers in Deir al-Balah, which is in the designated humanitarian zone. The launcher was heavily loaded, and immediately after the strike, rockets were seen flying upwards.

In Khan Younis: After following him for a long time, the IDF eliminated Ahed Qadih, a terrorist who participated in the October 7th massacre in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The terrorist was in a civilian car with four others. The World Central Kitchen (WCK) claims that the terrorist was an employee, and two other employees were with him in the car. The car was not on an aid route.

Following the incident, the IDF’s COGAT division demanded that the WCK and other international organizations working in Gaza immediately “clarify the issue and order an urgent examination regarding the hiring of workers who took part in the October 7th massacre and terrorist attacks against the State of Israel.” Aid organizations are supposed to provide the IDF with lists of their employees for screening, to ensure that they don’t employ terrorists. The WCK claims they were unaware of Qadih’s terrorism, and paused operations in Gaza for the time being. 

In Rafah: A Hamas cell has been setting up booby traps in Rafah, which is controlled by the IDF. The IDF found and eliminated them all. A video was released of one of the terrorists being hit by a drone strike while he was setting up an explosive in a building near IDF troops.

Troops later found weapons and military equipment near a former hospital and mosque in Rafah. Terrorists prioritize using such buildings even long after they’re evacuated, so that the IDF is forced to destroy buildings that will cause more negative optics and public outcry.

Humanitarian Aid:

46,362 tons of food were delivered to Gaza in the month of November. On Monday night, 40 trucks containing 600 tons of flour, entered Gaza.

As of December 1st, Approximately 770 trucks worth of aid are waiting for collection by UN aid organizations, particularly the World Food Program.

Hamas continues to hijack large amounts of aid, and sell it at a high price. The UNRWA commissioner, Phillipe Lazzarini, put out a statement blaming Israel for Hamas’s theft.

Lebanon:

The IDF calculates that over the last 14 months of war, 3,500 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated, and 7,000 injured to the extent that they can no longer fight. Among the dead, are 14 members of Hezbollah’s top leadership, and 55 commanders at the division, brigade, and battalion level.

Over the duration of the war, the IDF struck more than 12,500 Hezbollah targets, including 1,000 weapons depots. IDF troops confiscated 13,000 rockets, launchers, and anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems.

Mayors of Israel’s displaced northern border communities were told that they can begin to rebuild the towns damaged by Hezbollah fire. The IDF also promised that it is working to strengthen the security of the border, including by building additional IDF outposts. Residents have not yet been told to return home, and are unlikely to until well after the 60-day period, if it holds.

Just before Sunday, Home Front Command restrictions were lifted, allowing schools to open across Northern Israel.

The IDF is still holding onto positions in the front row of villages along the border in Southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese Army is expected to clear Hezbollah out of the remaining parts of Southern Lebanon within 60 days of the ceasefire. 

Immediately after the ceasefire agreement went into place, Hezbollah’s remaining leadership declared victory. While Hezbollah was beaten very badly, a victory for them is any scenario in which they’re still standing, and are not deterred from rearming over time. 

From the very first moment, Hezbollah has been violating the agreement, by returning to Southern Lebanon, right up to the Lebanon-Israel border, and making efforts to rearm all across Lebanon. Since last Wednesday, the IDF has been playing a form of whack-a-mole, spotting and striking Hezbollah terrorists as they attempt to reappear throughout Southern Lebanon. According to the ceasefire agreement, Israel is allowed to act against direct threats, and to prevent Hezbollah from rearming and returning to Southern Lebanon.

Instead of demanding that the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL do their job to enforce the ceasefire, the U.S. and France pointed fingers at Israel. Immediately after this, on Monday evening, Hezbollah fired two mortars at IDF positions on the border at Mount Dov, claiming it was a warning for violating the ceasefire agreement. Israel responded with a series of airstrikes against Hezbollah sites across Lebanon. 

Throughout the Israeli defense establishment and political echelon, there is a wide consensus that Israel needs to respond with strength to Hezbollah’s fire. Reports indicate that Israel is now prepared for a high possibility of the ceasefire agreement fully breaking down.

Judea and Samaria:

On Friday, a terrorists opened fire on a bus at the Gitai Avisar Junction, in Samaria. Eight people were wounded, three in serious condition. IDF soldiers at the junction eliminated the terrorist.

The terrorist came from the Shechem (Nablus) area, and drove along a route that has no internal security checkpoints. It is suspected that he did not act alone, and received the gun and car from accomplices. Hamas took credit for the terror attack, claiming the terrorist as their own.

On Sunday morning the IDF conducted a drone strike near Jenin, eliminating four Palestinian terrorists, including Hamas terrorist Wael Lahlouh, 31, who was responsible for an August shooting attack that killed Yonatan Deutsch and wounded Anas Jaramana at the Mehola Junction. The terror cell had carried out multiple attacks against Israeli towns near Samaria, and Lahlouh was actively recruiting terrorists for planned attacks. After the strike, IDF troops recovered three guns from the bodies and seized additional weapons and military equipment from the site.

Iran:

Ynet reported that the IDF forced an Iranian flight, which was suspected to be bringing arms to Hezbollah, to turn around. This is not the first such incident, but it is the first time since the ceasefire started. IDF fighter jets reportedly flew up to the plane, and ordered it to turn around, which it did. The incident occurred between Saturday night and Sunday morning. 

It is still unclear whether Iran has totally given up on responding to Israel’s last response, despite their dramatic threats to do so. Some reports claim that Iran is completely deterred, due to the true extent of Israel’s strikes, which Iran is trying to cover up, but left them completely vulnerable. Iran may also be afraid of consequences from Trump’s incoming administration.

Other:

– On Shabbat, two incidents of drones from militia in Iraq intercepted by the IDF before reaching Israeli airspace. Another was shot down on Monday night.

– Early Sunday morning sirens sounded in Central Israel and the Beit Shemesh area, due to a ballistic missile launch from Yemen. The missile was intercepted outside Israel’s borders, but due to the height, shrapnel fell in Israel. The occasional launches from the Houthis in Yemen at Central Israel are aimed to deter international airlines from flying to Israel, and are unfortunately successful.

– Saudi media reported that Syria’s Assad quietly appealed to Israel for assistance against the rebels. While none of the rebel groups are friends of Israel, Syria is an ally of Iran, and uses Hezbollah terrorists in its battles. Syria has also allowed Iran to manufacture and smuggle weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon for over a decade. Additionally, some of the militia fighting Assad are U.S.-backed. Israel’s only interest in Syria is to prevent smuggling to Hezbollah, and keep terrorists at a safe distance.

– Former Defense Minister visited Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway, in NYC. He told the audience that “This war brought unprecedented achievements thanks to two things: the actions of IDF soldiers and the miracle of the Holy One, blessed be He.”

The next section contains the timeline of major Hezbollah ceasefire violations. Minor violations (such as the many Hezbollah terrorists driving into Southern Lebanon), which received no response, are not included.

Timeline of Major Ceasefire Violations:

—> Wednesday, 28th:

Violation: Hezbollah terrorists enter Meiss al-Jabal, in Southern Lebanon, which is a closed zone under IDF control.

IDF reaction: Troops fire at the terrorists.

Violation: Hezbollah terrorists enter Kfar Kila, and walk right up to the border next to the Israeli town of Metula.

IDF reaction: Four terrorists detained.

—> Thursday, 28th: 

Violation: Group of Hezbollah terrorists arrive in Southern Lebanon, Markaba area.

IDF response: Drone strike near the terrorists as a warning shot, with no intention to kill.

Incident: IDF launches interceptor missile over Western Galilee, after identifying a “suspicious aerial target” over Lebanon. No further explanation given.

Violation: Hezbollah activity in a medium-range rockets storage facility in Southern Lebanon.

IDF response: Airstrike on the facility, to remove the threat. 

Violation: Two Hezbollah terrorists entered a known rocket-launching site in Southern Lebanon/

IDF response: Drone strike targeted the terrorists, to remove the threat. 

—> Friday, 29th:

Violation: Terrorists spotted driving a medium-range mobile rocket launcher on a truck in Southern Lebanon.

IDF response: Airstrike targeted the truck with the launcher.

—> Shabbat, November 30:

Incident: IDF soldiers dispersed “suspects” who entered the no-go zone held by the IDF. Later, they found a cache of weapons belonging to Hezbollah hidden in a mosque in the area.

Violation: IDF identified Hezbollah actively transferring weapons from Syria to Lebanon, via civilian border crossings.

IDF response: Airstrike targeting Syrian military sites near the border crossings, which were being used to facilitate the transfers.

Violation: Gunmen in Southern Lebanon spotted loading a vehicle with RPGs, ammunition boxes, and other military equipment.

IDF response: Drone strike targeted the vehicle.

Violation: Hezbollah terrorists spotted in building in Southern Lebanon known to be used for terror activity.

IDF response: Troops fired at the terrorists. Later they reached the building and found numerous weapons.

Violation: Activity spotted in a Hezbollah facility in Sidon, used to store rocket launchers.

IDF response: Airstrike on the facility.

Violation: Vehicle spotted operating at a Hezbollah manufacturing facility “deep inside Lebanon.”

IDF reaction: Drone strike against the vehicle.

IDF response: Curfew announced for the night of November 30, from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m., forbidding crossing the Litani River into Southern Lebanon.

—> Monday, December 2:

Violation: Military vehicles spotted operating at a Hezbollah missile manufacturing facility in the Beqaa Valley, as well as at several weapons smuggling sites on the Lebanon-Syria border in the Hermel District.

IDF response: Multiple airstrikes targeting the vehicles. The Lebanese Army says that one of their own soldiers were injured in a strike.

Violation: Several incidents of Hezbollah terrorists spotted in Southern Lebanon.

IDF response: Drone and artillery strikes at the terrorists.

Violation: Hezbollah launched two mortars at Israeli military positions on the border, in the Mount Dov area. Hezbollah claims that this was an “initial warning” due to Israel’s “repeated violations” of the ceasefire agreement.

IDF response: Airstrike on the mortar launcher, and dozens of rocket launchers and Hezbollah facilities across Lebanon, including border crossings used to smuggle weapons from Syria.

In a statement, the IDF said: “The State of Israel demands that the relevant parties in Lebanon fulfill their responsibilities and prevent Hezbollah’s hostile activity from within Lebanese territory. The State of Israel remains obligated to the fulfillment of the conditions of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.”

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