As the 17th day of the war in Israel unfolds, Israeli airstrikes persist in Gaza and Lebanon while awaiting the expected ground invasion of Gaza, which is currently delayed. Israeli forces have eliminated over 26 Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. This situation has sparked internal debates within both the Israeli public and the government regarding the strategy to be employed in this war, with the ultimate objective being the complete dismantling of Hamas.
In the past 24 hours, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched attacks on more than 320 targets across the Gaza Strip. These targets included tunnels housing Hamas operatives, numerous operational headquarters, military compounds, and observation posts utilized by the terrorist organization. Additionally, the IDF destroyed targets that posed potential threats to the forces assembling for a ground operation in Gaza. Launchers and anti-tank positions within the Gaza Strip were also targeted. In a joint operation between infantry and armored units of the Givati Brigade, with support from the 215th Brigade, various terrorist squads within Gaza were targeted during the night, including anti-tank units and other key infrastructure.
IDF says it hit some 320 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, including tunnels where operatives were hiding, and several mortar and ATGM positions, as the military readies for a ground offensive. pic.twitter.com/HtQ9TCiGdD
โ Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 23, 2023
During the night from Sunday to Monday, IDF forces apprehended 15 individuals with outstanding warrants, the majority of whom were affiliated with Hamas, in the Jilzon refugee camp near Ramallah. The forces also confiscated numerous weapons at the scene and encountered Palestinian rioters and suspects who attempted to harm them. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported two Palestinian casualties during clashes with the IDF, which included exchanges of gunfire and the throwing of makeshift explosive devices at the forces. According to Palestinian sources, approximately 70 individuals were arrested during the night, including physicist Prof. Imad Barghouti and Yazen Jaber, the chairman of the Nablus Engineers Union.
Trigger warning:
โ Israel ืืฉืจืื ๐ฎ๐ฑ (@Israel) October 22, 2023
This is from a kindergarten in Beeri.
Hamas went after little children with the goal of murdering and torturing them.
This isnโt a normal enemy.
Hamas is pure evil. pic.twitter.com/nqCpoDzmkL
Hezbollah disclosed the name of another member from its ranks, Abbas Ali Al-Sukia, who was killed while "fulfilling his jihadist duty," as stated in their message. Hezbollah did not provide further details regarding the circumstances of his death, but it appears to be one of the organization's operatives eliminated by the IDF in southern Lebanon near a missile launch site. Since the outbreak of the war, Hezbollah has reported the deaths of 27 of its members.
The troops of the "Samor" Squadron within the Yahalom unit, specializing in combating underground tunnels constructed by Hamas and Hezbollah, are undergoing rigorous training day and night in preparation for entering the Gaza Strip. This training takes place in purpose-built tunnels, replicating the ones in Gaza, where an underground city, often referred to as a "metro," houses Hamas terrorists. The "Samor" soldiers are responsible for locating and neutralizing these tunnels and employ specialized equipment for this purpose.
A USB device found on Hamas terrorists proves that the murderous terrorist organization planned to use cyanide against the civilian population, just like Al-Qaeda terrorists.
โ ืืฆืืง ืืจืฆืื Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) October 22, 2023
Watch an excerpt from my interview this evening on Sky News: pic.twitter.com/VIYvPcTdUN
The Saudi news channel "Al-Arabiya" reported that "the Israeli army has requested the evacuation of 25 hospitals in Gaza." Subsequently, Palestinians reported that the IDF targeted approximately three hospitals in the Gaza Strip that night. Despite ongoing talks and efforts to secure the release of more than 200 hostages held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas's surprise attack on October 7, a senior Israeli official informed CNN that "there will be no ceasefire."
