Israel SitRep: Jan. 18, 2024

Today’s Issue: Medications for Hostages Enter Gaza for First Time since October 7 | IDF Operating for over 35 Hours in West Bank’s Tulkarem Refugee Camp | IDF Chief of Staff: War in North More Likely Than Before | Latest FDD Analysis

Medications for Hostages Enter Gaza for First Time since October 7: On Wednesday, trucks with medications for 45 of the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas entered the Gaza Strip, along with humanitarian aid for residents of Gaza, in a deal brokered by Qatar and France. Previous efforts to get medications to the hostages have been unsuccessful, with the International Committee of the Red Cross claiming that Hamas has not allowed it to visit the hostages or deliver medications. Hamas set last-minute conditions for yesterday’s delivery, insisting that Israel could not inspect the trucks, but in the end, they were inspected at the Kerem Shalom crossing point before entering Gaza. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, stated that “we are praying” all the medications reach the hostages.

IDF Operating for over 35 Hours in West Bank’s Tulkarem Refugee Camp: The IDF on Wednesday announced a large-scale counterterrorism operation in the West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarem which has now been going on for over 35 hours. The operation includes searches of buildings and interrogations and arrests of suspects. Troops have found dozens of explosive charges directed at the IDF that were buried under roads. IDF forces also arrested 26 wanted individuals in the West Bank and Jordan Valley. On Wednesday, the IDF and Shin Bet announced the deaths in an overnight drone strike of members of a West Bank terrorist cell planning a “large imminent attack,” including the cell’s leader, Abdullah Abu Shalal, described as the head of “one of the main terror networks” in the West Bank.

IDF Chief of Staff: War in North More Likely Than Before: IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, speaking Wednesday at an exercise for reserve soldiers in the north of Israel, stated that the likelihood of war in the north is greater than in the past. Beginning Wednesday morning, the IDF struck targets in Lebanon, including Hezbollah military buildings and terror infrastructure in Lebanon’s Houla region. An IDF tank eliminated a threat in the Aita al-Shaab region of Lebanon, and IDF artillery forces fired to remove a threat in the al-Dahira region, also in southern Lebanon. On Thursday, Israeli Air Force jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructures in Al-Adisa and also attacked in the Kafr Kila and Marjayoun areas, all located in southern Lebanon.

IDF Find Letters About Gaza Teachers Who Also Work as Hamas Operatives: On Thursday, IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee published an X post about teachers in Gaza who also work as Hamas operatives. According to the post, IDF forces found three official letters from the military wing of Hamas asking Dr. Muhammad Hamdan, who heads the Education Directorate in Gaza, to allow teachers to focus on their obligations to Hamas. One letter demanded that the schedules for teachers working for the Hamas military wing enable them to perform their jobs with the organization, while other letters demanded that teachers be exempted from educational requirements to enable them to undergo training.

Latest FDD Analysis:

“The blood libel at The Hague,” Clifford D. May, The Washington Times

“Israel Should Boycott Turkey,” Sinan Ciddi, Townhall

“U.S. strikes Houthi launch sites, Iran targets ‘Mossad bases’ in missile attack in northern Iraq,” Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio, FDD’s Long War Journal

“U.S. Navy Intercepts Houthi-Bound Iranian Missile Component Shipment,” FDD Experts , FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles at Iraq and Syria,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Rocket Launchers Used to Target Israeli City Located by IDF,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“West Bank Imminent Terrorist Attack Thwarted by Israel,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief