Israel SitRep: Jan. 29, 2024

Today’s Issue: New York Times and Wall Street Journal Report UNRWA Employees Participated in October 7 Attacks | IDF Soldier Wounded in Vehicular Attack in Northern Israel, Stabbing Foiled in West Bank | IDF Counter-Terrorism Operations Continue in West Bank | Syrian and Iranian Media Report on Alleged Israeli Airstrike in Damascus, IDF Strikes Hezbollah Buildings | Latest FDD Analysis

New York Times and Wall Street Journal Report UNRWA Employees Participated in October 7 Attacks: According to a New York Times report from Sunday, Israel has provided the U.S. government with information about the participation of employees of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, in the October 7 Hamas attacks. The Wall Street Journal, citing intelligence reports the paper reviewed, stated that some 10 percent of UNRWA personnel in Gaza are connected with Islamist militant groups and that at least 12 of them, seven of whom are teachers, “had connections” to the October 7 attacks. The WSJ reported that the information came from cellphone tracking data, interrogations of captured Hamas operatives, signals intelligence, and documents taken from dead Hamas operatives. The United States has frozen funding of UNRWA in the wake of the intelligence report, and Canada, Australia, and several EU countries have also put UNRWA funding on hold. On Monday, the EU announced that it was suspending funding.

IDF Soldier Wounded in Vehicular Attack in Northern Israel, Stabbing Foiled in West Bank: On Monday, an IDF soldier was wounded in a car-ramming attack near a naval base in northern Israel. After hitting the soldier, the attacker crashed his car into the base and ran toward the gate with an axe. He was shot and killed. The soldier, who suffered serious leg wounds, was evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa and is in moderate-to-serious condition,. The perpetrator has been identified as Wassim Abu al-Hoga, a resident of the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel. Also on Monday, soldiers guarding a military position near Tekoa in the West Bank shot and killed a youth who attempted to stab them.

IDF Counter-Terrorism Operations Continue in West Bank: The IDF announced on Monday that the army is continuing counter-terror operations in West Bank refugee camps. During an operation by the IDF and Border Police in the Jenin Refugee Camp, forces discovered tunnel shafts with explosive charges, arrested two wanted men, and seized weapons. After being attacked with explosives and shot at, the troops fired back. In the village of al-Yamun, a wanted man shot at Duvdevan unit soldiers who were attempting to arrest him, and they killed him. In addition, reserve soldiers operated in “terrorist centers” in Nablus, including in the casbah and the Balata and Askar refugee camps, seizing weapons and interrogating suspects. In Kafr ‘Aqab and in Azzun, soldiers confiscated weapons. The IDF has arrested more than 2,960 wanted individuals in the West Bank since October 7, 1,350 of them connected to Hamas.

Syrian and Iranian Media Report on Alleged Israeli Airstrike in Damascus, IDF Strikes Hezbollah Buildings: On Monday, a day after three U.S. military personnel were killed in a drone strike in northeast Jordan, near the country’s border with Syria, Syrian and Iranian media were reporting that an Israeli airstrike near Damascus killed two people. The Israeli military did not comment. Also on Monday, IDF fighter jets struck two Hezbollah military buildings in the Yaroun area of southern Lebanon. Earlier on Monday, the IDF attacked positions from which missiles had been launched at northern Israel. The IDF struck the locations from which projectiles had been launched as well as other parts of Lebanon.

Latest FDD Analysis:

Today at 8:30am ET: “FDD Morning Brief,” Jonathan Schanzer and Hadeel Ouies, FDD Event

“President Joe Biden’s got blood on hands after appeasing Iran for years,” Richard Goldberg, New York Post

“Lebanese Hezbollah 101,” Bill Roggio and David Daoud, Generation Jihad (by FDD’s Long War Journal)

“Israel seeks to secure borders amid multi-front conflict,” Seth J. Frantzman, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Houthis attack U.S. warship, strike British tanker,” Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Three U.S. service members in Jordan killed by Iran-backed militias,” Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Israel: Hamas Terrorists Base Operations from Southern Gaza Hospitals,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“ICJ Rejects Gaza Ceasefire Demand, Urges Hostages Released,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“China Urges Iran to Halt Houthi Attacks in Red Sea,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“U.S. Pauses Funding to UNRWA,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Demands Qatari Action on Hostages,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Iran-Backed Drone Attack Kills Three U.S. Servicemembers in Jordan,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Iran’s Judiciary Poised to Gouge Out Eye of Protestor as Executions Surge,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Demands Qatari Action on Hostages,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief