Israel SitRep: Nov. 17, 2023

Today’s Issue: Two Hostages’ Bodies Are Discovered Near Shifa Hospital | IDF Urges Some Gaza Residents to Move South, Drops Leaflets in Khan Younis | IDF Exchanges Fire with West Bank Terrorists, Conducts Raids in Jenin | Israel’s War Cabinet Approves Entry of Two Fuel Trucks a Day into Gaza | Latest FDD Analysis

Two Hostages’ Bodies Are Discovered Near Shifa Hospital: On Thursday, the IDF discovered the bodies of two women hostages, Yehudit Weiss, 65, and Noa Marciano, a 19-year-old soldier. Weiss was a retiree who lived in Kibbutz Be’eri and worked with children in the kibbutz. Marciano, a soldier in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps’ 414th unit, served at the IDF’s base in Nahal Oz. Weiss’s body was found in a building near Shifa hospital, while Marciano’s was discovered in another building near Shifa. According to the IDF spokesman, in the building where Weiss’s body was discovered, troops from the 7th Armored Brigade’s 603rd Battalion also found military equipment, including Kalashnikov rifles and RPGs. Hamas published a video of Marciano on November 13, which showed her speaking, then cut to footage of her body. The two women are the first hostages known to have died.

IDF Urges Some Gaza Residents to Move South, Drops Leaflets in Khan Younis: On November 17, an IDF spokesman urged residents of the neighborhoods of Jabalia, Darj Tuffah, and Shejaiya to move to the southern Gaza Strip using the humanitarian corridor until 4 p.m. According to the announcement, the IDF will have a “temporary tactical suspension of military activities” between 10 a.m.. and 2 p.m. in western Rafah and in the neighborhood of Tal Al-Sultan. The IDF also dropped leaflets on November 16 in the eastern part of Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip, asking residents to evacuate the area. The leaflets added that “Anyone near terrorists or their facilities puts their life at risk, and every house used by terrorists will be targeted,”

IDF Exchanges Fire with West Bank Terrorists, Conducts Raids in Jenin: On Friday morning, Palestinians in a vehicle near Hebron opened fire at Israeli forces from the 8106th Battalion. The soldiers shot back, killing the driver and the gunman. The soldiers also seized the gun used in the attack. In addition, in an overnight raid in the city of Jenin and the nearby Jenin Refugee Camp, IDF forces, led by the Kfir Brigade, captured weapons. The raid was intended to find explosives in the possession of terrorist groups. The IDF seized six assault rifles in the Jenin camp and killed at least five gunmen. On Thursday, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for the tunnel checkpoint shooting that took place earlier on Thursday. Military police soldier Avraham Fetena, 20, was killed in the shooting.

Israel’s War Cabinet Approves Entry of Two Fuel Trucks a Day into Gaza: On Friday, Israel’s war cabinet unanimously agreed to allow two fuel trucks to enter Gaza daily. The decision was made at the request of U.S. officials and on the recommendation of the Shin Bet and the IDF. The fuel is intended for the UN, for a water desalinization plant, and for infrastructure in the southern part of Gaza. According to an Israeli official, the action is meant to “enable the minimal maintenance necessary for water, sewer and sanitary systems to prevent pandemics that could spread to the entire area, hurting residents of the Strip as well as our own forces and potentially spreading into Israel as well.” The official noted that Israel will monitor the deliveries to ensure that Hamas does not get the fuel.

Latest FDD Analysis:

“10 Things to Know About the UN and Hamas,” FDD Experts, FDD Insight

“The Palestinian refugee ‘crisis’ is a United Nations-perpetuated myth,” Enia Krivine, New York Post

“Turkey’s ‘Aid’ Organization Is a Front for Supporting Terrorism,” Sinan Ciddi, Townhall

“Shifa hospital the focus of IDF ground operations in Gaza,” Seth J. Frantzman, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Israel Allows Fuel to Gaza Through Egyptian Border,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Terrorists Storm Israeli Checkpoint Near Jerusalem,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Dismantles Hamas Naval Commando Training Facility,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Turkish President Escalates Anti-Israel Rhetoric,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief