Israel SitRep: Dec. 8, 2023

Today’s Issue: In Heavy Gaza Fighting, IDF Kills Terrorists, Destroys Tunnel Shafts | Two Terrorists Eliminated in Israeli Strike on Hamas Command Center | Photos and Video on Social Media Show Large Numbers of Men in IDF Custody | Southern Israeli Communities Receive Military Equipment as Part of Plan to Enable Residents to Return | Latest FDD Analysis

In Heavy Gaza Fighting, IDF Kills Terrorists, Destroys Tunnel Shafts: The IDF announced on Friday that over the previous 24 hours, its ground forces struck over 450 targets in Gaza. The announcement also said that the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of strikes and eliminated a large number of terrorists. As heavy fighting continued on Thursday in Khan Younis, Jabalya, and Shejaiya, the IDF killed several terrorists and destroyed Hamas tunnel shafts. In Khan Younis, the IDF’s 98th Division destroyed numerous targets and killed Hamas terrorists. In Jabalya, Nahal Brigade soldiers ordered a drone strike after terrorists fired anti-tank missiles at them. The IDF also discovered a tunnel network and killed several terrorists in Jabalya in a raid on a military compound. In Shejaiya, the IDF announced that it found and neutralized “Hamas infrastructure; several terrorist tunnels; [and] dozens of terrorists,” which were located in “the heart” of civilian areas.

Two Terrorists Eliminated in Israeli Strike on Hamas Command Center: On Thursday, the IDF announced that several days earlier, its fighter jets eliminated two senior Hamas operatives in an attack on a Hamas command center, using precise intelligence from the army and Shin Bet. One of the operatives, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, was in charge of field intelligence and participated in planning the October 7 attacks. The other, Ahmed Ayush, was part of Hamas’s Qarara Battalion observation unit. The command center targeted in the attack collected information from observation posts throughout the Gaza Strip and was a “significant strategic asset for conducting the fighting.”

Photos and Video on Social Media Show Large Numbers of Men in IDF Custody: On Thursday, photos and video circulated on social media showing Palestinians rounded up by the IDF, apparently after surrendering to the army. The photos and video show large numbers of men sitting on the ground, heads down, with IDF soldiers nearby. The men are in their underwear, presumably to allow the soldiers to confirm that they are not carrying explosives. Some of the men have their hands tied behind their backs. The footage was not released by the IDF, but Hebrew media reports say they are possibly Hamas members. One clip shows an Israeli military vehicle with a large number of men in the back.

Southern Israeli Communities Receive Military Equipment as Part of Plan to Enable Residents to Return: On Thursday, the IDF and Israel’s Defense Ministry began to distribute military equipment to rapid response teams in communities near Gaza as part of a plan to enable residents forced out by the war to return home. Under the “Return of the Spirit” plan, intended to improve border protection, basic combat equipment will be distributed, such as weapons, ceramic vests, and helmets. Later, additional medical and logistical equipment will be handed out. The IDF and the Defense Ministry issued a joint statement saying that the program will “allow better conditions for the return of residents to the communities in the coming weeks.” According to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, it may be possible for residents of some Israeli communities near northern Gaza to return in early 2024. After the October 7 attack, the IDF undertook a review of security arrangements with a “rethinking of the optimal method of operating the community defense forces at the country’s borders.”

Latest FDD Analysis:

“Israel targets Hamas leader’s house while eliminating seven Hamas battalion commanders,” Seth J. Frantzman, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Palestinian Terrorists Fire Rockets at Israel From Gaza Safe Zones,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Open to Strengthened Lebanon Ceasefire,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Dozens of Terror Targets in Khan Younis Struck by Israel,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief