War Day 612: Major Iran Exercise, Houthi Ports on Notice

War Summary, Day 611-612: Khan Younis nearly surrounded, Muhammad Sinwar’s body identified and in IDF possession, Civil Defense Spokesman often quoted by media is Hamas, possible signs of IDF military coordination with Gaza’s Shabab fighters, failed Houthi missile launch, Greta Thunberg ‘selfie yacht’ taken to Israel, IDF gives evacuation warnings for Houthi ports, Trump plans to extend negotiations with Iran past Thursday deadline, and IAF does major Iran exercise.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

55 held captive in Gaza.
33 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
148 living hostages rescued.
52 hostage bodies rescued.
1,854 Israelis killed.
429 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
88 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
18 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,733 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
10,000 Israelis estimated remain displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

– Khan Younis nearly surrounded
– Muhammad Sinwar’s body identified, in IDF possession
– Civil Defense Spokesman often quoted by media is Hamas
– Abu Shabab fighting Hamas, building new alternative government
– Possible signs of IDF military coordination with Shabab fighters
– GHF delivered 1.4 million meals today
– Failed Houthi missile launch
– IDF gives evacuation warnings for Houthi ports
– Trump plans to extend negotiations with Iran, past Thursday deadline
– IAF does major Iran exercise
– Greta Thunberg cruise taken to Israel

Hostages:

After a conversation between Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. President Trump, Israel is now considering that Hamas may be more willing to negotiate a hostage-release agreement now. But there is no thought that this will even begin within a week.

Gaza:

Thank G-d, no fallen heroes were announced in the last two days.

The IDF is averaging 30 airstrikes daily, while troops on ground utilize controlled explosives and artillery fire to destroy Hamas infrastructure.

Based on communications with commanders from a wide variety of units operating in Gaza, it appears that there are still far more tunnels and tunnel shafts than imaginable, and they are everywhere. Soldiers need to comb over every inch of land, and through every building in Gaza in order to find every tunnel entrance—and still must remain alert to the possibility of more, at every location.

Division 162 is continuing operations in Northernmost Gaza, where they haven’t advanced much, but are instead carrying out extremely thorough searches and destroying all Hamas infrastructure. This is an area where the IDF already operated a lot, but where Hamas was so extremely entrenched, that rockets, weapons, and tunnels are hidden everywhere, and will take a lot of effort to completely clear out.

Division 252 is still on the eastern edge of Gaza City, where they are working through what was a densely populated area, with small Hamas squads still hiding in the ruins. It’s estimated that 70% of buildings in Gaza are already destroyed—though not yet turned to pebbles. The division is also working in some areas on either side of the Netzarim Corridor, along the Salah a Din road. More brigades are being added this week, to expand the division’s activity.

Division 98, the commando division, is seeing the most activity, including close combat. They’ve advanced deep into Khan Younis, and now have nearly the entire northern side of the city under control. With the help of Division 36 on the southern side of the city, Khan Younis is now nearly entirely surrounded. This week, the forces destroyed a Hamas tunnel that was 1.5 kilometers long, as well as many other smaller tunnels and Hamas-used buildings. This all adds up to well over 200 Hamas structures destroyed over the last couple weeks.

A significant airstrike was filmed around the Nassar Hospital in Khan Younis. The IDF has not yet commented.

The Gaza Division (143) is still operating in Rafah, the Philadelphi Corridor, and the buffer zone, where they are still locating Hamas tunnel shafts and other infrastructures.
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The IDF and Shin Bet continue to locate and target terrorists who participated in the October 7th massacre. The IDF confirmed the elimination of terrorist Arafat Diab, who had attacked Kibbutz Re’im. He also commanded a Hamas police station.
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The IDF confirmed that they found and identified the body of Muhammad Sinwar (the second Sinwar brother who took over leadership in Gaza), after entering the tunnel under the European Hospital in Khan Younis. Together with Sinwar’s body, was also the commander of the Rafah Brigade, Muhammad Shabana, who was the second in command under Sinwar. The terrorists in the tunnel likely died of suffocation, after the IDF used munitions that removed the oxygen from the tunnel.

Inside the tunnel was valuable intelligence, which has already gone to use in IDF operations.
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The IDF released documental evidence taken from Hamas offices, which proves that the spokesman for the Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Sabar Tapash, is an active Hamas terrorist. Tapash poses as a humanitarian, and is regularly quoted by international media—while he constantly spreads lies in a form of psychological warfare.
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The IDF has released its initial investigation into the tragic deaths of the four soldiers who were killed in a building explosion in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Friday. The building had been flagged as potentially booby-trapped, but was deemed essential for operations and assessed as safe after drone scans and other precautions. Troops entered and cleared the first floor, but as they approached the second floor and called in a bomb squad, an explosive device detonated, killing four and injuring five. The IDF says the troops acted professionally and followed protocol, but it remains unclear how the bomb was triggered.
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Hamas is getting increasingly desperate as it loses control over Gazans, and is now using an increasing number of public executions to silence people.

Gazan journalist, Omar Abd Rabu wrote on his social media that Hamas issued an order to kill him, after he published criticism of the SInwar brothers. He is now in hiding.

Abu Shabab Developments:

Details over who is funding Yasser Abu Shabab and his militia, which he calls “the Popular Front,” are still unclear. Abu Shabab says he works only with the Palestinian Authority (PA), but coordinates with the IDF (which he calls “the occupation”) out of necessity, in order to build a safe Hamas-free humanitarian area. Unconfirmed reports claim that Abu Shabab received weapons from the IDF, and even vehicles from the United Arab Emirates.

In Batn Samine, an area south of Khan Younis, where Abu Shabab is based, Gazans report of possible coordination between Abu Shabab’s militants, and the IDF. According to reports, the militia attacked a Hamas position, and when the Hamas terrorists responded, a massive airstrike eliminated them.
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Abu Shabab claims to be a humanitarian, against terrorism, and intent on building a safe place for Gazans. He says that his tent city (which is in east Rafah, in an area under IDF control) is filling up with Gazan civilians, and that his militia are using intelligence from the PA to identify and keep out Hamas terrorists and affiliates.

Yesterday he announced that he is recruiting Gazan volunteers to establish administrative committees in east Rafah, and create an alternative government to Hamas. He called on Gazans with knowledge in medicine, pharmacy, engineering, various stages of education, computers and technology, photography, journalism, law, and psychology, to enlist.

Shabab also made it clear that after establishing the first base in Rafah, his militia will fight to create more Hamas-free areas throughout Gaza.

Whether this will be good or very bad in the longterm, the fact is that the IDF is no longer the only army in Gaza fighting against Hamas.

Humanitarian Aid:

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) delivered 1,386,000 meals today through two distribution centers. Specialized areas were opened for the women, disabled, and elderly.

Since the state of operations last week, the GHF has distributed just about 11.5 million meals.

Despite efforts from Hamas to prevent Gazans from receiving the aid, and threats to the GHF’s American security personnel, the distribution ran smoothly, and no one was hurt.

There are now distribution sites in the south and center of Gaza, with plans for one to soon be opened in the north.

Yemen:

This evening, a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Israel failed, and fell short. No sirens were activated.

Also this evening, the IDF issued an urgent evacuation warning for three Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen. The IDF urged people to stay far away from the ports until further notice.

Iran:

In a phone call, Trump told Netanyahu that the U.S. presented the Iranians with a reasonable offer for a nuclear agreement, and is expecting a response in the coming days.

Trump admits that the Iranians are tough negotiators, but he is still trying to carve out an alternative to war.

The Iranians already publicly stated that they will reject any proposal that doesn’t allow them to enrich uranium. Trump’s team is expecting Iran to return a negative response to their proposal within the next couple days. However, they plan to continue attempts to negotiate, and will meet with the Iranian team on Sunday for further talks.

This is despite Trump’s negotiation deadline this Thursday, which he established two months ago in order to prevent Iran from dragging out negotiations to buy time.

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Head of the Mossad will meet with Steve Witkoff before he begins the weekend negotiations with Iran.

In the evening, Israeli skies (especially over Be’er Sheva) filled with sound from IAF aircraft. Later, reports from Iran indicated that several IAF aircraft approached as close as a few hundred kilometers from the Iranian border with Iraq. Since no airstrikes were reported, this was likely a training flight—and a warning.

Judea & Samaria:

The IDF reported tat last Wednesday, forces destroyed an explosives lab in Tulkarem.

Over the weekend, security forces arrested 35 suspected terrorists thought Judea and Samaria, and confiscated various weapons and terrorism funds.

Lebanon:

Lebanese media reports an Israeli drone strike on a car in southern Gaza. The IDF has not yet commented.

There are reports that the U.S. is moving to defund UNIFIL in Lebanon, after they were beyond useless in combatting Hezbollah, and even helped Hezbollah in some instances, by knowingly acting as human shields for them.

Syria:

Yesterday the IDF eliminated a Hamas terrorist in southern Syria, using an airstrike.
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Today Syrian forces intercepted a large shipment of 107mm Fajr-1 rockets, being smuggled to Lebanon for Hezbollah. This is becoming increasingly common.

Other:

Climate activist, Greta Thunberg, arrived in Israel with 11 other activists this morning, after attempting to sail to Gaza to “break the siege” and deliver a small amount of humanitarian aid.

When the little yacht neared Gaza’s waters, Israel’s Navy warned them to turn around. When the warning was ignored, a group of female Naval officers boarded the boat, and detained the activists. The officers gave the anti-Israel activists water bottles and sandwiches, before towing them to Israel’s Ashdod port.

Greta and her fellow celebrity activists had been posting to social media nearly nonstop during their entire journey, and dramatized the moments leading up to the meeting with the IDF. From the moment the IDF entered their yacht, their posts ended, and the only photos and videos published came from Israel. Thanks to the professionalism of the female Navy officers, Greta and her friends did not get the dramatic arrest footage they were hoping for.

The humanitarian aid on board the ship filled around half a truck load, and was sent by the IDF to the inspection area at the Kerem Shalom crossing, from where it was prepared for delivery to Gaza. In the two weeks that Greta’s yacht took to sail to Israel with less than a truckload of food, the IDF delivered 1,200 truckloads of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Anyone who wants to send food to Gaza is able to, through channels established by the IDF’s COGAT division.

In Israel, Greta and her friends were given basic medical checkups, and then were brought to see a screening of footage from Hamas massacres on October 7th. The group chose to cover their eyes and protest, refusing to see the video.

The activists were set to be sent home later that night or morning.
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Channel 12 reports that documents found in Gaza prove that Qatar worked together with Hamas in 2019 to thwart Trump’s peacemaking efforts between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Saudi Arabia. The documents also prove that Qatar’s relationship with Hamas was key to enabling the October 7th massacre.