Israel SitRep: April 15, 2024

Today’s Issue: IDF: About 99 percent of Some 300 UAVs and Missiles From Iran Were Intercepted | Four IDF Soldiers Wounded by Explosion on Lebanese Border, One Seriously | IDF’s 162 Division Continues Operations in Central Gaza | Food Aid to Gaza Increases, IDF Cautions Gazans Against Returning to the North | Latest FDD Analysis

IDF: About 99 percent of Some 300 UAVs and Missiles From Iran Were Intercepted: The IDF on Sunday provided information about Saturday night’s Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel, noting that the Israeli Air Force and Israel’s “strategic partners” successfully intercepted dozens of “aerial threats” from Iran and adding that IAF planes shot down drones and cruise missiles. The IDF said that only a few of the hundreds of missiles shot at Israel got through, causing light damage to infrastructure at the Nevatim Air Base, near Beersheba, and a road in the area of Mount Hermon in northern Israel. According to the statement, the functioning of the Nevatim base was not affected. An article published by the government-run Iranian Students’ News Agency said that Iran was targeting the Nevatim base and a military facility on Mount Hermon. The IDF also published an infographic indicating that there were approximately 300 launches from Iran — roughly 170 UAVs, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles — and that the interception rate was about 99 percent.

Four IDF Soldiers Wounded by Explosion on Lebanese Border, One Seriously: On Sunday night, four soldiers engaged in “operational activity” on the Lebanese side of the border were wounded by an “explosion of unknown origin.” One was seriously wounded, two were moderately wounded, and the fourth was lightly wounded. The soldiers were from the Yahalom combat engineering unit and the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit. The IDF says it is investigating the incident. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the explosion, saying that it placed bombs near the border fence and set them off when Israeli soldiers crossed the border. Overnight, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including military buildings, terror infrastructures, and launching sites in the areas of Labbouneh, Seddiqine, Matmura, and Ayta Al-Shab. IDF troops also acted to “remove a threat” in the areas of Ayta Al-Shab and Labbouneh.

IDF’s 162 Division Continues Operations in Central Gaza: The IDF on Monday published a report on operations in the central Gaza Strip being carried out by the Nahal Brigade, the 401st Armored Brigade, and other units of the 162nd Division, with the goal of destroying terrorist infrastructure and eliminating terrorists. The Nahal Brigade’s combat team killed terrorists, destroyed several buildings belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and located weapons, equipment, rocket launchers, and terrorist infrastructures. In one incident, Nahal soldiers saw a terrorist in a building and killed him within several minutes with a precision missile strike. The Nahal Brigade’s combat team is continuing fighting in the Netzarim Corridor, which divides northern and southern Gaza, and is carrying out targeted raids against terrorists and terrorist targets, killing 15 terrorists in the area in the past day. The report includes footage of the Nahal Brigade’s operations.

Food Aid to Gaza Increases, IDF Cautions Gazans Against Returning to the North: On Sunday, COGAT, which coordinates humanitarian aid for Gaza, said that a UN World Food Programme bakery had reopened in the northern Gaza Strip. Two bakeries reopened in central Gaza last week, and altogether, 23 bakeries are open in Gaza and producing 3 million pita breads a day. On Monday, COGAT reported that 102 food aid trucks had been “coordinated to northern Gaza” and added: “We will continue expanding our efforts to facilitate humanitarian aid into and across […] Gaza.” White House national security spokesman John Kirby stated on Monday that “the aid has increased, and quite dramatically, in just the last few days.” Israel has recently been increasing efforts to ensure aid gets into Gaza. Meanwhile, IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee told Gaza residents that the northern part of the strip is a dangerous combat zone and cautioned them against attempting to return there, asking them to remain in humanitarian areas in the south of the strip.

Latest FDD Analysis:

Today at 8:30am (ET): “FDD Morning Brief,” featuring Enia Krivine and Amit Segal, FDD Event

“Iran’s Historic Aerial Assault on Israel: SITREP and Policy Options,” featuring Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, Mark Dubowitz, Jonathan Schanzer, and Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, FDD Event

“Iran Attacks Israel with Drones and Missiles | FDD SITREP with Jonathan Schanzer and Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus,” featuring Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus and Jonathan Schanzer, FDD Event

“The Thickening Fog of War,” Clifford D. May, Bradley Bowman, and Jacob Nagel, FDD’s Foreign Podicy

“Iran’s terror-enabling supreme leader only opens the door for Israel to hit back hard,” Mark Dubowitz and Behnam Ben Taleblu, New York Post

“The Gulf’s New Regional Vision Makes Room for Israel,” Eyal Hulata and Natalie Ecanow, The National Interest

“Hamas’ Enablers in the Turkish Government,” Sinan Ciddi and Melissa Sacks, The National Interest

“How Iran’s drones became a threat to the Mid East and world,” Seth J. Frantzman, The Jerusalem Post

“‘Punished from four directions’: This is how Iranian, Arabic media covered the attack,” Seth J. Frantzman, The Jerusalem Post

“Why did Iran choose drones as method of attack?” Seth J. Frantzman, The Jerusalem Post

“Turkish Organizations Ready Flotilla to Ignite Tensions With Israel,” Sinan Ciddi and Tyler Stapleton, FDD Policy Brief

“­IAEA Condemns Drone Strikes on Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Nuclear Plant,” Andrea Stricker, FDD Policy Brief

“Six months of war in Gaza and Hamas still ≠ ISIS,” Bill Roggio and Seth Frantzman, Generation Jihad (by FDD’s Long War Journal)

“Israel, U.S. Close Ranks as Iran Threatens Attack,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Germany Rejects Nicaragua’s ‘Biased’ ICJ Case,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Seizes Israel-Linked Ship,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Attacks Israel With Drone and Missile Barrage,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Joins Iran to Fire Rockets at Israel,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Proposes International Coalition Against Iran,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel SitRep: April 12, 2024,” FDD Experts, FDD Israel at War Situation Report