The southern front:
Fighters of the 36th Division gained an operational hold in the Shahja'eya neighborhood. The IDF spokesman stated that Golani Brigade fighters raided senior Hamas houses in the neighborhood; fighters from the 188th Brigade took over the headquarters of the Hamas Shaja'iya Battalion; and fighters from the Paratroopers Brigade destroyed over a hundred terrorist buildings and dozens of tunnel shafts, and arrested many terrorists, including a Hamas company commander.
The fighters of Division 99 completed an operation in the area south of Gaza City, the aim of which was to establish IDF's control in the center of the Gaza Strip. The fighters eliminated terrorists, located many weapons, and destroyed tunnel shafts. It was reported that during the operation, a terrorist squad was eliminated from the air after having fired an RPG at IDF forces from within a building.
Fighters from Yahalom and Brigade 401 destroyed earlier today the network of tunnels that was exposed under the "Senior Quarter" (Palestine Square) in the heart of Gaza City.
The IDF spokesman published documentation of an incident in which soldiers from the "Lotar" unit (counter-terrorism special forces) identified and eliminated a terrorist who came out of a tunnel shaft towards them and opened fire.
Hamas published another video containing psychological warfare. Many Israeli media outlets did not publish details from the video, so as not to cooperate with the terrorist organization's propaganda.
Flyers intended for Gaza residents were scattered in Rosh Ha'Ain and several localities in the Shomron, due to a technical malfunction. The IDF stated that the incident is under investigation.
The IDF's Shaldag, 13th Fleet, and 401st Brigade's combat team have gained operational control over Gaza City's prestigious Rimal neighborhood, including Gaza Square. Division 98 fighters have been fighting in the Khan Yunis area for the past few weeks, have eliminated many terrorists, located dozens of tunnels and revealed significant intelligence materials that contributed to the deepening of the ground maneuver.
As part of the fighting in Khan Yunis, the IDF has eliminated Hamas's head of Khan Yunis' drone team, the commander of their observation company, and many other commanders in the field. This morning, Palestinian sources reported that Hamas's commander of the Khan Yunis Central Police was killed.
The names of two IDF soldiers who fell in clashes with terrorists in the Gaza Strip were released for publication:
- First Lieutenant Shay Ayeli, 21, from Ashkelon, a cadet at the officers' school and fighter in the 669 rescue unit.
- Sergeant First Class (res.) Tal Shua, 31, from Be'er Sheva, a fighter in the engineering corps.
May their families find comfort among the nation they served to protect.
Kibbutz Nir Oz announced that one of the hostages from there, Gadi Hagai, aged 73, was murdered on Simchat Torah, and his body was taken to Gaza. ה' יקום דמו, may his memory be a blessing. His wife, Judy Weinstein, is still being held hostage in Gaza.
During the past week, IDF fighters raided and took over the Kasbah in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. The fighters cleared the area, eliminated terrorists, and destroyed terrorist infrastructure. Tunnel shafts were found inside a school, as were many weapons.
The Arabic-language IDF spokesperson called on residents of central Gaza to evacuate their homes and move towards Deir al-Balah, further south.
A Hamas commander being interrogated in Israel stated that Hamas uses children to transport explosives from place to place, because Israeli soldiers will not shoot at them.
The northern front:
Sirens were heard in Arab Al-Aramsha. Launches from Lebanese territory that did not cross into Israel were identified. The Air Force attacked the squad that carried out the shooting.
Later, sirens were heard in the Margaliot area. Two missiles landed in open areas. There are no casualties.
The terrorist organization Hezbollah took responsibility last night for eight attacks against Israel along the border.
In retaliation to missiles fired at the Western Galilee in the morning, IDF warplanes attacked Hezbollah military sites and terrorist infrastructure within Lebanon.
The West Bank:
Near the village of Barta'a, in northern Shomron, Arab terrorists attacked IDF soldiers with their car. The incident began when Border Police stopped a suspicious vehicle and two Arab passengers got out of the vehicle and began to argue with the soldiers. One of the passengers returned to the vehicle and began driving towards the fighters, who opened fire. A female fighter was slightly injured and was evacuated for medical treatment. The driver was neutralized and both passengers were arrested.
11 wanted persons were arrested last night in Yehuda and Shomron. Their weapons were located and confiscated.
In Israel:
It was reported that the Shin Bet foiled an attempt by Iranian operatives to manipulate Israeli citizens through social media for terrorist purposes.
Smuggling of thousands of weapon parts in a container that arrived from Turkey to the port of Ashdod, which was destined to reach Shechem, was thwarted. The police arrested three suspects, residents of Shechem and Taiba.
Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday met with representatives of bereaved families from the "Hagvurah" ("heroism") forum, and said that "Israel will not stop the war until all its goals are completed - there will not be another round."
Dozens of Arab young adults gathered at hotspots in the area of the Old City of Yerushalayim and the Temple Mount after Friday prayers. The police dispersed them using riot-dispersal measures.
On a positive note:
The Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites, which usually assists two hundred heritage sites throughout the country, has been harnessed since the beginning of the war to help the residents of the south. Council workers, national service girls, and volunteers have organized activities for children of evacuees throughout the country, distributed craft kits, and also facilitated online activities. In addition, about fifty heritage sites all over the country are open to the public free of charge with the help of volunteers.
Earlier this week Iris Haim, the mother of the late Yotam Haim, one of the hostages who was accidentally killed by IDF soldiers, published a moving recording in which she addressed the soldiers and said that she and her family love them and do not blame them for his death. “I know that everything that happened is absolutely not your fault, and nobody’s fault except that of Hamas, may their name be wiped out and their memory erased from the earth,” she said.
Yesterday a reservist from the battalion which was responsible for the mistake arrived at the family's house to convey their condolences and thank Iris for her words of encouragement. He noted that her heroic message had raised the battalion's morale and helped them continue to fight.
The bird migration season is now at its peak. Yesterday, approximately 170 pelicans were spotted in the Hula wetlands. Each migration season, more than a billion birds pass through the Hula Valley.