War Summary, day 642: Netanyahu says a deal to release 10 hostages could come within days, involving over 1,000 terrorists freed, partial IDF withdrawal from Gaza, and more aid to Gazans, IDF strikes 180 targets, advances in Beit Hanoun and Khan Younis, destroys tunnels, Houthis fire two missiles at Israel, one intercepted, one falls short, two PA police kill Israeli guard at Gush Etzion, separate stabbing injures IDF soldier, IDF kills top Hezbollah commander, and strikes disguised HQ in Lebanon.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

50 held captive in Gaza.
28 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
148 living hostages rescued.
57 hostage bodies rescued.
1,905 Israelis killed.
450 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
88 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
18 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
32,350 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
5,000 Israelis estimated remain displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Hostages:

In an interview with Newsmax today, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that a deal which could release 10 living hostages could happen within days.

If a deal is made, it would likely be for a 60-day ceasefire, while talks take place for a permanent end to the war. Netanyahu said that he’ll only agree to a full en of the war if Hamas is completely defeated and Gaza is no longer a threat to Israel—and he said that U.S. President Trump is on the same page on the issue.

During a 60-day ceasefire, over a thousand terrorists will be released from prison, aid will flow freely into Gaza, and the IDF will withdraw from parts of Gaza. The IDF might withdraw from parts of the Morag Corridor, but not all of it. Enough area will be left so that the IDF can begin building a tent city for 350,000 Gaza civilians after the ceasefire ends.

Gaza:

It was a busy day in Gaza today. The Air Force struck around 180 terror targets across the strip. Among the targets struck: terrorist cells, booby-trapped buildings, weapons storage facilities, anti-tank launch positions, underground routes, and additional terror infrastructure that posed a threat to the troops.

Divisions 162 and 98 began to slowly advance into Beit Hanoun in Northern Gaza. Beit Hanoun has been surrounded for a while, and the IDF has operated there in months past, but it has not yet been flattened, and is instead full of terror tunnels and booby-trapped buildings. Despite the dangers, troops are entering the city on ground, and searching structure by structure, only using airstrikes when a terrorist is spotted, or building looks suspicious.

Division 36 has progressed in Western Khan Younis, where they are moving slowly, while ensuring that Hamas can’t return—in the last week, troops destroyed over 130 buildings and tunnels in Khan Younis. Today, in partnership with the Yahalom unit, troops located and destroyed a 500 meter-long tunnel, which lay 13 meters below ground.

Yemen:

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen wake up almost the entire central Israel at 5 this morning, by launching a ballistic missile in the direction of Tel Aviv. The IDF successfully intercepted the missile.

In the evening, the Houthis launched another missile, but it fells short long before reaching Israel, and before it could even activate sirens.

Judea & Samaria:

This afternoon, two terrorists murdered a man at the Gush Etziyon Junction. His name: Shalev Zvuluny , 22-years-old.

The terrorists arrived at a shopping center and stabbed Shalev, who was serving as the security guard. The terrorists then stole his gun to attack others. IDF soldiers and armed civilians quickly eliminated the terrorists in a short gun battle.

The two terrorists were Palestinian Authority police officers, who had recently come back from extra training in Qatar.

Later, in a separate incident, a terrorists stabbed an IDF soldier during operations in Rummanah. The soldier suffered moderate injuries and was evacuated to the hospital. The terrorist was eliminated.

Lebanon:

Overnight, the IDF struck a Hezbollah military headquarters, from which the terrorists were operating in the Yohmor area in southern Lebanon. The headquarters operated under the guise of a civilian building.

During the day, the IDF used a targeted airstrike to eliminate Muhammad Jamal Marad, an artillery commander in the coastal region of south Lebanon. Morad, who was responsible for for numerous attacks against Israel, was now working to rebuild Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.