Israel SitRep: Feb. 21, 2024

Today’s Issue: IAF Jets Strike Hezbollah Headquarters in Lebanon, Explosions Reported in Damascus | IDF Carries Out Overnight West Bank Raids, Arrests Wanted Persons, Seizes Terrorist Funds | IDF Announces Ways for Gazans to Contact It With Information on Hostages | IDF Paratroopers Continue Operations in Khan Younis, Last Week Found Weapons in Building Near UN School | Latest FDD Analysis

IAF Jets Strike Hezbollah Headquarters in Lebanon, Explosions Reported in Damascus: Syria’s state-run news agency SANA is reporting that “two citizens were martyred and another was injured on Wednesday morning in an Israeli missile attack that targeted a residential building in Kafr Sousa neighborhood in Damascus.” According to the Alma Research and Education Center, this was a “surgical” strike on a residential building. Alma also cited local reports as saying there are Iranian casualties. Hours later, more explosions were reported in Damascus. On Tuesday, the Israeli Air Force struck a military building near the village of Yaroun in southern Lebanon after several Hezbollah operatives were seen entering the building. On Wednesday, IAF jets attacked three Hezbollah headquarters in southern Lebanon and used artillery fire in the areas of Alma ash-Shab and Dhayra to “remove a threat.” In addition, a drone launched by Hezbollah fell in the Western Galilee on Tuesday, a day after an explosive drone fell in Israeli territory.

IDF Carries Out Overnight West Bank Raids, Arrests Wanted Persons, Seizes Terrorist Funds: In an overnight operation in Jenin, the IDF arrested 14 wanted persons and killed three gunmen. Soldiers from the Haruv reconnaissance unit, the Duvdevan commando unit, and the Border Police found weapons and explosive charges planted under the roads. After gunmen shot at the soldiers, an airstrike was launched against them. In Qabalan, three wanted men were arrested, and in Fasayil, soldiers arrested another three. In Qibya, four wanted men were arrested, and in the town of Rantis, troops confiscated funds used for terrorist purposes. In Abu Dis, near Jerusalem, troops arrested a wanted man and seized weapons, and in Samu, soldiers seized over 10,000 shekels in “terrorist funds.” Five activists in the Hamas student cell in Hebron were arrested by Israeli forces, and in Ain Misbah, another wanted individual affiliated with the Hamas student cell was arrested. Over 3,200 wanted persons have been arrested in the West Bank since the war began, over 1,350 of them with connections to Hamas.

IDF Announces Ways for Gazans to Contact It With Information on Hostages: On Tuesday, IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee published an announcement that begins, “O residents of Gaza, you can contribute to saving the lives of hostages and ensuring their safe return…” The announcement notes that “the IDF has established a special center to receive communications and information aimed at saving the lives of innocent people, allowing those concerned to provide important information related to the protection of kidnapped Israeli citizens detained in Gaza and their whereabouts.” The statement includes contact phone numbers, +972-556-837798 and +972-593-956247, and directs readers to an Arabic-language website, https://www.machtoffin.com, which has the photos, names, and ages of Israelis taken hostage. At the bottom of the webpage is an announcement reading, “To provide us with information about those kidnapped in the Gaza Strip and to receive a financial reward, contact us via WhatsApp or Telegram,” which is accompanied by links to WhatsApp, Telegram, and phone apps.

IDF Paratroopers Continue Operations in Khan Younis, Last Week Found Weapons in Building Near UN School: On Tuesday, the IDF published a report on paratrooper activities in Khan Younis. According to the report, the Paratroopers Brigade combat team is killing many terror operatives at close range in western Khan Younis. Last week, troops raided a building located near a UN school being used as a shelter for local residents, where they found a large number of weapons, including AK-47s, grenades, warheads, RPGs, and ammunition. The terror operatives were using an opening in the wall of the school to enter the adjacent building, from which they took weapons they used to attack IDF soldiers. In another building in the area, soldiers found a large quantity of Hamas uniforms, vests, weapons, ammunition, and cartridges. In a raid on the home of the head of the Khan Younis Brigade’s anti-tank unit, soldiers discovered weapons and intelligence material.

Latest FDD Analysis:

Today at 8:30am (ET): “FDD Morning Brief,” featuring Jonathan Schanzer and John Spencer, FDD Event

“Supporting Ukraine and Israel Will Help Deter Aggression Around the World,” Bradley Bowman and LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster, Newsweek

“Israel Releases Seized Footage of Bibas Family Kidnapped by Hamas,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Official: Our Missiles Can Reach All of Israel,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“U.S. Vetoes One UN Resolution, Proposes Another Opposing Israeli Attack Against Hamas in Rafah,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief