Israel SitRep: Nov. 20, 2023

Today’s Issue:   Houthis Seize Commercial Vessel in the Red Sea >> Shifa Hospital: IDF Releases Footage of Hostages and Tunnels, States Hostage Was Murdered There >> Hezbollah Launches Projectiles Toward Israel, Israel Strikes Back >> IDF Launches Airstrikes Against Hamas, Urges Residents of Two Refugee >> Camps to Evacuate >> Latest FDD Analysis

Houthis Seize Commercial Vessel in the Red Sea: On November 19, the Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader, a Bahamian-flagged vessel, in Yemeni territorial waters in the Red Sea. Israel says that the ship is British owned and Japanese operated, but media reports say that the ship is owned by Israeli businessman Rami Ungar and leased to a Japanese company. There are some 25 crew members on board. The IDF issued a statement saying: “The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence. The ship departed Turkey on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship.” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree tweeted that “the Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or dealing with it that they will become a legitimate target…”

Shifa Hospital: IDF Releases Footage of Hostages and Tunnels, States Hostage Was Murdered There: The IDF released surveillance footage on Sunday showing a Nepali and a Thai who were taken hostage on October 7 being brought to Gaza’s Shifa hospital. According to the IDF, the footage shows that Shifa is a Hamas operations center used for the October 7 attacks. In one of the videos, a man being dragged toward a hospital entrance attempts to resist but is overpowered. The IDF says that the videos are from hospital footage. The IDF also released footage showing a 55-meter tunnel that is 10 meters underneath the hospital. In addition, the army announced that Cpl. Noa Marciano, a hostage whose body was found near Shifa last week, sustained injuries from an Israeli airstrike that were not life-threatening and was later murdered by Hamas in the hospital.

Hezbollah Launches Projectiles Toward Israel, Israel Strikes Back: On Sunday, the IDF announced that projectiles were launched toward Margaliot and Kfar Giladi from Southern Lebanon and fell in open areas. Later in the day, the IDF spokesman announced that Israeli planes struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response to projectiles launched in the previous 24 hours. The IDF announced on Monday afternoon that about 25 rockets were launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah, along with three suicide drones. The Iron Dome intercepted some of the rockets, and the others landed in open areas. The drones hit an IDF border post, but no one was injured. The IDF says it is responding with artillery shelling.

IDF Launches Airstrikes Against Hamas, Urges Residents of Two Refugee Camps to Evacuate: The IDF announced on Sunday that the army, along with the Shin Bet, arrested over 100 Hamas operatives in recent days in the Gaza Strip, including three members of the Nukhba Force, which took part in the October 7 attacks. In addition, in airstrikes overnight between Sunday and Monday, the IDF killed three Hamas company commanders in the Gaza Strip. In another incident, the IDF launched an airstrike against Hamas operatives entering a building that was used as a weapons depot. The strike killed the terrorists and destroyed the building. The IDF on Sunday urged residents of the Jabalya refugee camp and another camp nearby to evacuate. According to the Israeli army, it is expanding its operations to other neighborhoods in Gaza.

Latest FDD Analysis:

“International Maritime Security Construct issues warning as Houthis threaten commercial shipping,” Bradley Bowman and Bill Roggio, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Israel Strikes Hezbollah Terror Sites in Lebanon,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Remains of Two Israeli Hostages Recovered from Near Shifa Hospital,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“U.S. Continues to Send Weapons to Israel to Combat Hamas,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Foils Fatah Terror Cell in West Bank,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Residents of Hamas Stronghold In Southern Gaza Urged to Evacuate,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Iranian-Backed Houthis Hijack Ship in Red Sea,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Shifa Neonatal Unit Evacuated, Egypt to Take Patients,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Authority Denies Hamas Massacre at Music Festival,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief