Israel’s ground operations in Gaza entered their second week on Monday, October 6. With IDF units now astride the Gaza Strip, encircling Gaza City, the two divisions the IDF has in Gaza can settle into their operational areas and begin to uncover Hamas terrorist infrastructure.
Israeli forces achieve a significant step as it encircles Gaza City.
Israel has suffered more than a dozen casualties in the last two days as infantry presses into urban areas near Gaza City. At the same time the Israel Air Force and navy work closely together to target Hamas terrorists. Israel’s Defense Minister warned Hezbollah and other groups in the region not to threaten Israel, while saying Israel is focused on victory in Gaza.
Bill and Joe provide a mid-week update on Israel and Gaza — including Joe’s key takeaway from today’s IDF conference call, IDF tactics on the ground inside Gaza (particularly related to the tunnels), Hezbollah propaganda ahead of Hassan Nasrallah’s Friday speech, and more.
Israel’s infantry pushed deeper into Gaza on October 31, encountering resistance and also taking a key Hamas bastion. As Israel carried out airstrikes on Hamas commanders, the Iran-backed Houthis fired a ballistic missile towards Eilat. It was intercepted. In the north Hezbollah continued anti-tank fire.
Israeli forces pushed into Gaza over the weekend and have expanded operations on Monday, October 30. Close cooperation between ground forces and the air force has enabled 150 strikes on Hamas targets in the last several days. One Israeli hostage was freed by operations in Gaza while tensions continue between Hezbollah and Israel in the north.
The war goes on; rockets are still raining down on central Israel (including Jerusalem) while Israel continues targeting Hamas leaders in Gaza. But…
Breaking today and over the weekend:
Israeli boots are now on the ground inside Gaza. There was also some IDF activity in Jenin inside the West Bank.
Iran’s President Raisi gaslit said on X that, “the Zionist regime’s crimes have crossed the red lines which may force everyone to take action.”
While Lebanese Hezbollah is still keeping things at a simmer just below the threshold of all-out war, other Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria are very much in the game. Some are even firing at U.S. forces in the region.
Bill and Joe are joined again by FDD’s Behnam Ben Taleblu to unpack these and related headlines.
Bill and Joe are back with an update on the latest from Israel and Gaza. Today they’re also joined by their FDD colleague and Turkey expert, Sinan Ciddi, to unpack just how deep Turkey’s relationship is with Hamas.
The Givati brigade, which has been conducting specialized urban warfare training over the last week, led the assault. The operation is designed to prepare the ground for the next phase of combat.
Hamas targeted Israel with rockets, including long-range attacks on cities more than 100 miles from Gaza, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. The Israel Defense Forces also highlights Iran’s support of Hamas and its involvement in providing training and support for the terrorist group.
Israel continued to carry out airstrikes on Hamas and on threats from Lebanon as the Israel Defense Forces prepare for a ground incursion into Gaza. Hamas rocket fire continues over Israel as the conflict stretches into its eighteenth day.
Bill and Joe talk through the latest headlines surrounding Israel and Gaza as of late afternoon (ET) on Monday, October 23, 2023.
Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 would not have been possible if Hamas was not afforded a safe haven.
The USS Carney intercepted three missiles fired from Yemen as it was patrolling the Red Sea. The missiles appear to have been fired at Israel.
The Shadow Unit is likely holding an unknown number of hostages following the Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel.
The presence of a large number of EFPs is a clear indication of Iranian support for Hamas.
Bill and Joe give an update on the latest from Israel as of later morning/early afternoon (ET) on October 15, 2023.
Israel is eliminating key members of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip following a large-scale attack in southern Israel.
Both al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims, al-Qaeda’s branches in North and West Africa, respectively, have openly praised Hamas for its mass killings of Jews in recent days.
The IDF issued an order for all Palestinian civilians to leave northern Gaza, a clear indication that Israel troops will soon enter. The IDF is heavily targeting Hamas assets in Gaza.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi says he willing to support ‘the Palestinian people’ with rocket barrages if the United States intervenes to support Israel.
Saraya Wa’ad Allah, an Iranian-backed group in Bahrain, calls for additional violence against Israelis in the island kingdom. However, it is unlikely to materialize.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gave the go-ahead more than a week ago for the attack, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Despite the largest Israeli military operation in the West Bank since the Second Intifada, the state of the West Bank remains in question.
A surge in West Bank violence is more than two years old and there are no signs that it will cease anytime soon.
On Monday, Islamic Jihad started a two-week summer camp for children and teens with the goal of promoting jihad against Israel.
Israeli authorities arrested Jordanian MP Imad al-Adwan on suspicion of smuggling weapons and gold into the West Bank.
In a coordinated effort, Iran has supported, funded and encouraged its network of armed groups on Israel’s borders to launch attacks.
To unpack and assess the latest terror threats faced by Israel, Bill had to call in the experts: Dr. Jonathan Schanzer and Joe Truzman.
If you’d like to dig deeper on the topics discussed in this episode, we recommend you check out Joe’s project on mapping terrorism in the West Bank and Jon’s book “Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War” which according to LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster: “If you want to understand the hell in a very small place that is Gaza, read this book.”
Hamas issued a statement congratulating Mutaz al-Khawaja after he carried out a shooting attack near a Tel Aviv café on Thursday.