As the fifth day of the Gaza War commences, the IDF, in coordination with the Israeli Air Force, has escalated its operations within the Gaza Strip, targeting Hamas installations. The IDF has reported that the conflict has resulted in over 1,200 killed in Israel, with more than 2,700 Israelis sustaining injuries. Additionally, approximately 1,000 terrorists bodies have been identified within Israel, with many more located near the border. This underscores the scale of the attack, according to Brigadier General Danied Hagari it "indicates the size of the attack. They had weapons for conquest, not for raiding. They planned not an attack and retreat but a full occupation.โ€

 Despite the IDF's control over the Gaza border region, security forces continue to engage with Hamas militants hiding within Israeli territory. Rocket attacks towards Israel persist during the night, and the Gaza electricity company anticipates a gas shortage in the Strip, leading to an impending halt in the electricity supply.

Tensions remain high in the northern sector following yesterday's rocket attacks. Moreover, in East Jerusalem, Border Patrol troops fatally shot two residents of the Silwan neighborhood after they launched fireworks that struck another soldier. Consequently, schools in Israel remain closed today. Additionally, further reserve IDF mobilization was approved, bringing the total number of recruits to 360,000, including those already drafted.

During the night, dozens of warplanes targeted over 80 sites in Beit Hanon within the Gaza Strip. Among the targets were two bank branches used by Hamas for financing terrorism, an underground tunnel, and two operational headquarters directing terrorism against Israel.

Following extensive intelligence efforts by IDF intelligence, the Air Force, with the assistance of multiple pilot aircraft, attacked an advanced Hamas system designed for detecting aircraft over the Gaza Strip. For years, Hamas had deployed a network of concealed high-quality cameras throughout the Gaza Strip to identify and track aircraft. The Israeli Air Force swiftly dismantled this network.

In response to the crisis, Ned Price of the United States State Department revealed that, in addition to the 14 American citizens killed in the Hamas attack, 20 more Americans are missing, with a presumption that some may have been kidnapped and are still alive. Special commando forces from the Navy Seals and Delta Force have been placed on standby in a nearby European country, prepared to assist in hostage rescue efforts, which include American citizens. Reports suggest that the United States has deployed experts to Israel to aid in this process, though the White House emphasizes that there are no current plans to deploy American troops on the ground to intervene in the ongoing conflict. 

Sign Up For The Judean Newsletter

I agree with the Terms and conditions and the Privacy policy