The Israel Defense Forces opened a new crossing for aid to enter into Gaza. The crossing is called the Western Erez crossing, and it is near the coast in the area of Zikim in Israel. It enables aid to reach northwestern Gaza in addition to two other crossings that now serve northern Gaza. Meanwhile in southern Gaza, the Rafah crossing remains closed, leading to concerns about aid entering southern Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces are now operating in three areas of Gaza in a multi-pronged offensive against Hamas and other terrorist groups. The new phase of operations began on May 6 when Israel began operating in eastern Rafah. This developed into a second operation in northern Gaza on May 9 and an operation in Jabalya on May 12. Jabalya and Zaytun are in northern Gaza, and have been cleared of Hamas in the past, illustrating how quickly Hamas has returned to areas previously cleared by the IDF.
The Israel Defense Forces continued operations in eastern Rafah on May 9, eliminating up to 50 terrorists and uncovering ten tunnel shafts. Meanwhile, Israel’s military and political leadership reacted to comments from President Biden about the potential for pausing more munitions deliveries if Israel expands into the rest of Rafah. In Zaytun in northern Gaza, the IDF carried out its third raid in six months of ground maneuver.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the IDF’s 91st division in northern Israel on May 8, where he met with the commander of the division responsible for defending the Lebanon border and vowed that Israel would return evacuated civilians to their communities along the northern border. The IDF evacuated 80,000 Israelis from the north in October 2023 due to Hezbollah attacks, and approximately 50,000 remain evacuated.
Israeli tanks took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt on May 7, 2024. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited IDF artillery supporting the operation and said Israel was still open to a compromise with Hamas, but that Israel would intensify operations if Hamas did not make a hostage deal. Hezbollah and Iraqi militias escalated attacks on Israel as the IDF operation in Rafah began.
The Israel Defense Forces called for the evacuation of around 100,000 civilians in eastern Rafah to a designated humanitarian zone near Khan Younis. These efforts to keep civilians safe from possible fighting occur as Israel has reiterated a months-long vow to launch an operation into Rafah where an estimated four Hamas battalions remain.
Hamas fired ten projectiles at Kerem Shalom in Israel near the Egyptian border on May 5. Hamas took credit for the attack and claimed it targeted IDF troops. In addition, Hezbollah fired dozens of projectiles at communities in northern Israel. Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also visited Gaza on May 5, where he vowed that Israel would continue with its planned Rafah operation.
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant spoke with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the evening of May 1. Israel’s Chief of Staff went to northern Israel to meet commanders on the northern front facing Hezbollah. Israel announced several wartime promotions for commanders amid ongoing political discussions surrounding the Rafah offensive.
Israel Defense Forces recruitment data for March and April 2024 showed high levels of men and women seeking enlistment to combat roles. Women sought out positions in the artillery and border protection units in numbers almost double those sought and expected. Men also sought recruitment to a variety of infantry units at higher than expected numbers, continuing a trend that began after the Hamas attack on October 7.
The Israel Defense Forces said on April 30 that two of its divisions are prepared for the next phase of combat in Gaza. The two divisions played a key role in battles in Gaza between October 2023 and March 2024. The IDF’s statement follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Israel will proceed with an offensive into Rafah in southern Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces are focused on facilitating humanitarian aid entering northern Gaza as well as on receiving aid that will arrive via the US-built temporary floating pier off the coast of Gaza. The IDF’s 99th division also began operating to secure the Netzerim corridor in Gaza, a key element of protecting the aid that may arrive whether by land or by sea.
Israel redeployed its Nahal brigade from Gaza, replacing it with two reserve brigades that have been undergoing training. The movement comes as the IDF continues to carry out numerous daily airstrikes in Gaza and as Hamas seeks to increase its presence in northern Gaza. Additionally, Hamas released a hostage video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
Hezbollah carried out a drone attack on northern Israel, setting off sirens along twenty miles of Israeli coastline. The Israel Defense Forces said air defenses were activated to intercept the threats. Hezbollah said they had carried out the attack in response to the IDF killing a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit.
An IDF military division conducted a training exercise to prepare for a potential conflict in the north. The 91st division, which is responsible for the northern border of Israel, led the drill that ended on April 15 with the division commander then meeting with the heads of local communities. On April 19, reports said Israel carried out an airstrike near Isfahan inside Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes on 25 targets in Gaza over the course of April 18 and 19. In addition, the IDF launched more operations to secure a corridor of control across Gaza south of Gaza City. The IDF said it had eliminated more than 1,000 terrorists in recent raids. Humanitarian aid transfers by trucks are increasing in southern and northern Gaza.
Hezbollah launched drones at northern Israel on April 16 and 17 during two days of escalation in northern Israel as the IDF eliminated two Hezbollah commanders and Hezbollah carried out attempted attacks on IDF bases.
The Chief of Staff for the Israel Defense Forces spoke to Israeli air force personnel at the Nevatim base in southern Israel on April 15, praising them for their defense against the attack by Iran. Israel is considering its options for responding to the Iranian attack. In addition, Israel’s Minister of Defense held discussions about upcoming operations in Rafah.
The Israel Defense Forces carried out raids in Gaza into Nuseirat and Shujaiya. The new policy of precision raids reflects a developing phase of operations in Gaza which pairs pinpoint raids with increased humanitarian support for Gaza. The IDF is also constructing a new northern crossing into Gaza for aid to reach northern Gaza.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant noted Israel’s challenges in Gaza on the humanitarian front, saying that aid has increased in phases and he supports increasing the amount of aid and number of crossings into Gaza for the aid. In addition, he praised the US-Israel relationship and discussed how Hamas has ceased to exist as a military organization in many parts of Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces conducted a training in the north that brought together an IDF division, police, search and rescue, navy and air force units. It focused on “multi-branch and multi-organizational cooperation.” In addition, Israel’s Minister of Defense spoke with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The Israel Defense Forces withdrew the 98th division and the 7th armored brigade from Khan Younis after four months of battles in the city. Israel’s Defense Minister said “the withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis was carried out once Hamas ceased to exist as a military framework in the city.” The shift in forces is being watched closely across the region as Israel continues to say it will enter the southern Gaza city of Rafah in order to defeat Hamas.
Rocket fire from Gaza targeted the Israeli cities of Netivot, Sderot and Ashkelon on April 4. Although rocket fire has increased in recent days, this is the first attack on Netivot since January. In Gaza, the IDF operated in Beit Hanoun, Khan Younis and other areas, and clarified that while it is generally on high alert due to the multi-front conflict, it has not changed home front guidelines amid increased Iranian threats.
Israel called up reservists for air defense units amid Iranian threats to respond to an airstrike in Damascus which killed IRGC leaders. After Hezbollah launched numerous rockets at northern Israel on the afternoon of April 3, Israel responded with artillery fire and airstrikes. Israel’s IDF also said it had determined the explosion that wounded several UN observers in Lebanon was the result of an explosive device planted by Hezbollah.
Iran blamed Israel for an airstrike in Damascus that killed a senior IRGC Quds Force commander. Iranian-backed groups in Iraq targeted Eilat with a drone, while clashes in the West Bank between armed groups and the Palestinian Authority are increasing. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is currently in a “multi-front war.”
The Israel Defense Forces wrapped up a two-week operation at Shifa hospital in Gaza. The IDF said it detained more than 900 suspects during the raid, 513 of which were confirmed to be members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. That the IDF continued to face mortar threats throughout the duration of the raid on Shifa suggests that Hamas maintains cells in northern Gaza that still pose a threat.
IDF forces have been operating in the Amal and Qarara neighborhoods of Khan Younis for one week and have found weapons and ammunition in addition to carrying out numerous airstrikes and eliminating suspected terrorists. This is a contrast to the IDF’s ongoing operation in and around the Shifa hospital complex. The multi-pronged offensive here may pave the way for future IDF operations in Rafah.
The Israel Defense Forces conducted airstrikes inside Lebanon after Hezbollah carried out a rocket attack targeting Kiryat Shmona that killed one person. The IDF announced training for ground and air forces in northern Israel that will include “massive, long-range strikes, flying deep into enemy territory, and surprise exercises.”
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant is on a multi-day visit to Washington, D.C, where he has met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Meanwhile, Israel conducted airstrikes deep in Lebanon in response to rocket fire from Hezbollah that targeted an IDF base on Mount Meron in northern Israel.
Hamas launches rockets at Ashdod and Ashkelon, two large Israeli coastal cities. The IDF says the rockets fired at Ashdod were fired from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The IDF continued to operate at Shifa hospital, detaining more terrorist suspects. In southern Gaza, Israeli forces struck dozens of targets.
The Israel Defense Forces announced the creation of a new ‘mountain’ brigade that will focus on defending Israel’s Mount Dov and Mount Hermon on its northern border with Lebanon. The new unit is part of a reorganization in the IDF focused on bolstering defenses in the north amidst ongoing Hezbollah and other threats.