Israel SitRep: July 26, 2024

Today’s Issue: | IDF Operates in Khan Younis and Rafah, Eliminates Terrorists, Finds Weapons, Tunnel Shafts | IAF Strikes Southern Lebanon Military Buildings; More Than 500 Terrorists Killed in Lebanon | Alma: Hezbollah Drone Videos Aim ‘to Sow Panic and Create Public Unrest,’ Test IDF Detection | Bodies of Israelis Recovered in Gaza Were Being Kept Underneath Al-Mawasi Humanitarian Zone | Latest FDD Analysis

IDF Operates in Khan Younis and Rafah, Eliminates Terrorists, Find Weapons, Tunnel Shafts: The IDF on Friday reported on its operations in Khan Younis and Rafah, both in southern Gaza. In Khan Younis, where the 98th Division is operating, troops from the 7th Armored Brigade have killed more than 100 terrorists. In addition, the Israeli Air Force struck and killed seven terrorist squads that fired mortars at troops during combat. Other airstrikes killed terrorist squads that were planning to fire at the soldiers. The IDF withdrew from Khan Younis three months ago and launched its current operation there on Monday after seeing that Hamas was once again organizing there. In Rafah, where the 162nd Division is operating, troops eliminated several terrorists and located weapons, including long-range rocket launchers and explosives, as well as tunnel shafts. In addition, the IAF struck some 45 targets, among them terror cells, military buildings, tunnel shafts, and launch pits.

IAF Strikes Southern Lebanon Military Buildings; More Than 500 Terrorists Killed in Lebanon: On Friday, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck a military building in the Markaba area in southern Lebanon with several Hezbollah operatives inside. The IAF also struck another military building overnight, this one in Ayta al-Shab. In addition, after sirens sounded in the upper Galilee earlier today, Israeli air defenses intercepted a projectile from Lebanon. This week, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, head of Northern Command, visited Golani Brigade troops in northern Israel, telling them that the IDF has killed more than 500 terrorists in Lebanon, mostly from Hezbollah, in addition to destroying thousands of infrastructures. According to the IDF announcement, the Golani Brigade is working to protect communities in the upper Galilee, in close cooperation with community security teams, and is also preparing for offensive operations.

Alma: Hezbollah Drone Videos Aim ‘to Sow Panic and Create Public Unrest,’ Test IDF Detection: On Thursday, the Alma Research and Education Center published an analysis of Hezbollah’s third drone video, which the group released on Wednesday. The nine-minute video focuses on the Ramat David Air Force base, located about 30 miles from the Lebanese border, even though the second video ended with a preview indicating that the next video would focus on Tiberias and Safed. The analysis notes that the information gained from filming the airbase is minimal since open sources provide a great deal of information about IAF bases, and Hezbollah has access to satellite images from Iran and Russia as well as commercial satellites. Furthermore, certain types of information are difficult to obtain from a drone like the one in the video, and Hezbollah has apparently collected other information about squadron locations, facilities, and the like. According to Alma, these videos are intended to erode Israelis’ sense of security and Israel’s perception that it has air superiority and “to sow panic and create public unrest.” The analysis also notes that the videos are intended to test the capabilities of Israeli detection and interception systems and to identify routes for infiltrating Israel in the future.

Bodies of Israelis Recovered in Gaza Were Being Kept Underneath Al-Mawasi Humanitarian Zone: The IDF on Thursday announced that the five bodies of Israelis held by Hamas and recovered by the army on Wednesday in Khan Younis were being kept underneath an area that was part of the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone. After the army received “precise intelligence information,” troops found a tunnel shaft that led to a tunnel with several rooms, where the bodies were being kept. On Monday, the IDF ordered the evacuation of part of the zone, which it is now clear was done to prepare for the operation, since the tunnel where the bodies were found was located there. According to former Shin Bet officer Yossi Amrussi, the intelligence for the operation was obtained during interrogations of terrorists. The five victims — Maya Goren, Oren Goldin, Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, Sgt. Kiril Brodsky, and Ravid Katz — were killed on October 7.

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