Israel SitRep: Jan. 8, 2024

Today’s Issue: Hezbollah Attacks Israeli Base, Israel Eliminates Senior Hezbollah Operative | IDF Targets Drone Operator in Southern Gaza, Discovers Precision Missile Equipment | IED, Shooting, and Ramming Attacks in the West Bank | Chinese Shipping Company Bows to Houthi Pressure | Latest FDD Analysis

Hezbollah Attacks Israeli Base, Israel Eliminates Senior Hezbollah Operative: Hezbollah fired a rocket barrage at Israel’s Mount Meron air traffic control base in the Upper Galilee on Saturday, causing material damage. Hezbollah released footage of the attack, which was launched from Yaroun, around 10 km from the Israeli base. Hezbollah reportedly used anti-tank guided missiles, which travel below Israel’s missile defense umbrella. The following day, an apparent Israeli UAV attack killed Wissam al-Tawil, a senior commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, in southern Lebanon. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that Israeli pressure has forced Radwan members to retreat from the border area.

IDF Targets Drone Operator in Southern Gaza, Discovers Precision Missile Equipment: On Sunday, an IDF strike in Rafah eliminated a terrorist operating a drone. Two journalists affiliated with Al-Jazeera were traveling in the car with the operative and were killed in the attack. The same day, Israeli soldiers discovered components for precision-guided munitions at a Hamas weapons manufacturing plant in Gaza City. The discovery, the IDF said, points to Iran supplying its Gaza-based proxy with game-changing weapons. The IDF also detected and destroyed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad tunnel network in northern Gaza’s Shejaiya neighborhood and eliminated commanders of Hamas’s Nuseirat Battalion in an airstrike. The battalion carried out the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri.

IED, Shooting, and Ramming Attacks in the West Bank: Israeli Border Police Sergeant Shay Germay succumbed to wounds from an IED attack suffered overnight on January 6-7 during a raid on terrorist assets in Jenin Refugee Camp. Israeli citizen Ammar Mansour, a resident of eastern Jerusalem, was killed and another civilian was wounded in a shooting attack in the northern West Bank later that morning. That afternoon, a Palestinian driver conducted a ramming attack against Border Police personnel at the Biddu/Beit Iksa Checkpoint north of Jerusalem, wounding a police officer. A Palestinian toddler was killed by stray fire in the attempt to subdue the attacker.

Chinese Shipping Company Bows to Houthi Pressure: Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi announced on January 7 that any ship transiting the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, or the Arabian Sea should declare “We have no relationship with Israel” to avoid being targeted by the Yemen-based, Iran-backed group. Succumbing to this pressure, China’s largest shipping company, COSCO, reportedly halted shipping to Israel.

Latest FDD Analysis:

Today at 8:30am (ET): “FDD Morning Brief,” featuring Jonathan Schanzer and Amb. Mark Regev, FDD Event

“Strait Talk on the Houthis,” Clifford D. May, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, and Bradley Bowman, FDD’s Foreign Podicy

“The Terrorist-Aid Agency,” Jonathan Schanzer, Commentary

“The United States Needs to Play Hardball With Turkey,” Eric S. Edelman and Sinan Ciddi, Foreign Policy

“The UNRWA are ensuring the ‘day after’ includes more wars,” Jacob Nagel, The Jerusalem Post

“South Africa Wages Lawfare Against Israel at the ICJ,” Orde Kittrie and David May, FDD Policy Brief

“Terrorists will be terrorists,” Bill Roggio and Behnam Ben Taleblu, Generation Jihad (by FDD’s Long War Journal)

“Uprooting terror infrastructure in Gaza shaping to be long, complex process,” Seth J. Frantzman, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Islamic State announces new global campaign to rally members and supporters,” Caleb Weiss, FDD’s Long War Journal

“U.S. Rejects ‘Meritless’ South Africa ICJ Case Against Israel,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israeli Defense Minister Presents Plan for ‘Day After’ in Gaza,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Houthi Attacks on International Shipping Continue,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Blinken Travels to Middle East to Address Mounting Threats,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Terrorists Kill Israeli Policewoman in West Bank City,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israeli Government Shows Unity in Response to Hezbollah Provocations,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“IDF Dismantles Hamas in Northern Gaza, Three Months into the Gaza War,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief