IDF Updates – December 19th

IDF: Please find attached an English statement by the IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari:

“Since the Hamas massacre of October 7th, Hezbollah has been increasing its attacks against Israel: firing rockets, missiles and drones; killing Israeli civilians and soldiers; and displacing over 80,000 Israelis from their homes in the north.

Since Hezbollah began its attacks, the IDF has been responding by striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Hezbollah — a proxy of Iran — is dragging Lebanon into an unnecessary war that would have devastating consequences for the people of Lebanon.
This is a war that they do not deserve.

When it comes to existential threats, we regard every day as though it’s October 6th, so that the Hamas massacre of October 7th never happens again — on any one of our borders.

The facts on the ground speak for themselves:
Hezbollah’s violations of UN Resolution 1701 have rendered it effectively null and void.

Until there is an effective solution in place — that ensures the security of our people — the IDF will continue fulfilling its duty: Defending the citizens of Israel and Israel’s sovereignty.

Until and unless a diplomatic solution is found and implemented: We will continue making the necessary preparations to remove the threat from our border.”

https://bit.ly/46YwQXr


IDF: A Nukhba terrorist and a terrorist who participated in the October 7th massacre were detained at a school in Rimal in Gaza City and were interrogated by Unit 504

Last Friday, an operation conducted by the 401st Brigade at the Alma’atsam in Allah School in Rimal resulted in the elimination of numerous terrorists. Additionally, Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were detained. The terrorists, including a member of the Nukhba Forces and another terrorist involved in the massacre, were transferred for investigation by Unit 504 of the Intelligence Division.

Attached is an infographic detailing the identities of the terrorists detained in the operation: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC18122023097345


IDF: IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari:

“The IDF and the U.S. Central Command closely cooperate against terrorism threats throughout the region.

IDF soldiers continue ground combat in Hamas’ strongholds in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. Simultaneously, the IAF continues to strike Hamas terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip. We will remain determined to achieve the goals of dismantling Hamas and bringing back the hostages.”

Please find attached the translated evening briefing by the IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari: https://bitly.ws/36t46


IDF: Please find attached a list of IDF materials for your use:

Attached is a link to visual and audio resources on the Israel-Hamas War:
https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/hamas-israel-war-23/hamas-israel-resource-center/

Attached is a link to Frequently Asked Questions on the conflict:
https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/General/swords-of-iron-faq-6-dec-2023

Attached is a link to legal aspects of the conflict:
https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/news/hamas-israel-conflict2023-key-legal-aspects/en/English_Documents_Hamas-Israel%20Conflict%202023%20-%20Some%20Factual%20and%20Legal%20Aspects%20-%20Israel%20Ministry%20of%20Foreign%20Affairs%20(2%20NOV%202023).pdf

Attached are links to information on Israel’s humanitarian efforts:
https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/General/israel-hamas-conflict-2023-humanitarian-efforts
https://govextra.gov.il/cogat/humanitarian-efforts/home/


IDF: Following the alerts concerning a hostile aerial infiltration into northern Israel, the IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. The alerts regarding rockets and missiles were activated due to the danger of falling shrapnel from the interceptor.

A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including terrorist infrastructure, military compounds, a weapons storage facility, and launch posts.

Attached is a related video: https://bit.ly/4am17md


Joint IDF and ISA announcement:

Revealed in ISA investigation: Ahmad Kahalot, the Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip, admits that Hamas has turned hospitals into military facilities under their control: “I was recruited to Hamas in 2010 with the rank of Brigadier General. There are employees in the hospital who are military operatives of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades – doctors, nurses, paramedics, clerks, and staff members״.

Kahalot was apprehended on December 12th at the Kamal Adwan Hospital by the IDF and ISA.

During the ISA interrogation, Ahmad Kahalot describes how Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes, including hiding its operatives, carrying out military activity, moving around Hamas members, and even bringing a captured soldier to the hospital.

Quotes from Ahmad Kahalot’s interrogation:

“They hide in hospitals because for them a hospital is a safe place. They won’t be targeted when they are inside a hospital”.

”I know 16 employees in the hospital – doctor, nurse, paramedic, or clerks… who also have different positions in al-Qassam”.

“There are offices where the Hamas leader and two of the senior officials were. There’s a place where the soldier was in (the kidnapped soldier). There’s a place for the interrogators, internal security, and special security. All of them have private telephone lines inside the hospital”.

”They [Hamas] have a private ambulance, even it color and the way it’s painted are different, and it doesn’t have a license plate. They used it to transport the soldier [kidnapped] and transport bodies… It didn’t assist us with transporting the injured”.

”I begged him to take someone to the Indonesian Hospital, take to Shifa [hospital], but he would refused. His mission is more important”.

“The leaders of Hamas are cowards. They left us in the field while they hide in secret places… They have destroyed us”.

https://wetransfer.com/downloads/3d1d089458146a4cb4b9636e36f807ef20231219125728/3049165957274dd8dc2a9ef9eece0ed920231219125741/679032?trk=TRN_TDL_01&utm_campaign=TRN_TDL_01&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid

Video credit: ISA Spokesperson


IDF: Following the alerts concerning a hostile aerial infiltration into northern Israel, a number of launches were identified from Lebanon toward Israeli territory.

Earlier today, a launch was also identified from Lebanon toward Malkia.

The IDF struck the sources of the fire.


IDF: ’Shaldag’ Unit Operate in Hamas Terror Tunnels in Gaza City, 1500 tunnel shafts and underground passages uncovered since the beginning of the war

After locating hundreds of tunnels and destroying many of them using various techniques, the ‘Shaldag’ Special Forces Unit are conducting operational activities within the Hamas terrorist organization subterranean tunnel network.

Led by the Southern Command, the combat in underground tunnels is a complex form of warfare, involving the discovery of combat facilities and terrorist command centers.

Underground warfare is a combat strategy used by the Hamas terrorist organization. Since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, IDF troops have identified about 1,500 tunnel shafts and underground passages belonging to Hamas. Most of these subterranean structures have been found beneath schools, hospitals, mosques, UN facilities and civilian institutions. Hamas uses the civilian population as a human shield, a fact that becomes evident in the locations of these underground facilities in the Gaza Strip.

Attached is footage of the operational activities of the ‘Shaldag’ Unit special forces in the Hamas tunnels: https://bit.ly/3tymK1P


IDF: “Since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, IDF forces have discovered approximately 1,500 terrorist tunnel shafts and tunnel routes of Hamas. It’s important to explain that this underground infrastructure is one of the main elements in Hamas’s terror operations.”

Please find attached the translated evening briefing by the IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari: https://www.idf.il/164041

A Message from Shalom