Israel SitRep: August 12, 2024

Today’s Issue: | Defense Minister Gallant Speaks With U.S. Defense Secretary Austin, Discusses ‘Operational And Strategic Coordination’ | Hezbollah Fires Some 30 Rockets at Western Galilee; Hezbollah Reportedly Removing Equipment From Dahieh Offices | Walla: Death Toll in IDF Strike on Terrorist Headquarters at Al-Taba’een School at 38 | COGAT: 194 Aid Trucks Entered Gaza Sunday; Gaza Bakeries Producing Some 3 Million Pitas Daily | Latest FDD Analysis

Defense Minister Gallant Speaks With U.S. Defense Secretary Austin, Discusses ‘Operational And Strategic Coordination’: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke overnight with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. According to the Defense Ministry, the two discussed “operational and strategic coordination” against the background of developments in the Middle East. They also covered the IDF’s preparations for attacks by Iran and its proxies and “interoperability with the wide range of U.S military capabilities deployed to the region.” According to a Pentagon press release, Austin stated, “U.S. military force posture and capabilities” in the Middle East are being strengthened, adding that he has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which is carrying F-35C fighters, to “accelerate its transit” to the region. The statement notes that this will supplement the capabilities of the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, which is already in the Middle East. In addition, the defense secretary has ordered the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to transit to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.

Hezbollah Fires Some 30 Rockets at Western Galilee; Hezbollah Reportedly Removing Equipment From Dahieh Offices: On Monday, the Alma Research and Education Center published its daily update on events in Israel’s north, noting that Hezbollah fired some 30 Grad rockets this morning toward the western Galilee community of Ga’aton, claiming that the attack was targeting a military base. The IDF says that many of the rockets landed in open areas. Hezbollah has claimed responsibility in the past 24 hours for six attacks on Israel with suicide drones, anti-tank missiles, and high-trajectory fire, including Grad rockets. The IDF hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in the past 24 hours in the areas of Jibbain, Taybeh, Odaisseh, Derdghaiya, and Kafr Kila. Meanwhile, the Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria reports today that signs indicate that Hezbollah has been removing computers and other equipment from its offices in the Beirut suburb of Dahieh, which it says shows the group is preparing for a worst-case scenario.

Walla: Death Toll in IDF Strike on Terrorist Headquarters at Al-Taba’een School at 38: Israeli news website Walla is reporting that the Shin Bet and Aman military intelligence have confirmed that Saturday’s IDF strike on the Al-Taba’een school compound in Gaza City killed 38 terrorists after the IDF originally announced that “at least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were eliminated.” The defense establishment is continuing to assess the situation, and it is possible that the final death toll will be higher. The Shin Bet provided intelligence showing that a building in the school compound was being used as a terrorist headquarters, and once it was established that there were no women or children inside, the IDF launched the strike. According to Walla, as the IDF destroys Hamas’s terror infrastructure, the group is being forced to move into civilian buildings such as medical clinics and schools. The IDF later released a statement saying that the identities of 31 of those killed have been verified.

COGAT: 194 Aid Trucks Entered Gaza Sunday; Gaza Bakeries Producing Some 3 Million Pitas Daily: On Monday, COGAT, the Israeli entity coordinating humanitarian aid for Gaza, published its update for Sunday, noting that 194 aid trucks entered Gaza yesterday. While the private sector and international organizations collected the aid from 114 trucks, UN aid organizations did not collect any. Some 575 truckloads are still awaiting collection. According to COGAT’s Sunday update, on Saturday, it coordinated 41 aid trucks that entered Gaza through the Erez crossing, 39 from Jordan, and 41 in northern Gaza. The announcement adds that six bakeries are operating in central Gaza and seven in northern Gaza, which together produce nearly 3 million pita loaves a day.

Latest FDD Analysis:

“MAAGA: Make the Abraham Accords Great Again,” Clifford D. May, Hussain Abdul-Hussain, and Loay Ahmed Alshareef, FDD’s Foreign Podicy

“An open call to murder Jews in a Belgian magazine,” Ben Cohen, Jewish News Syndicate

“Pro-Hamas Protesters in Turkey Call for Military Strikes Against Israel,” Sinan Ciddi and Sophia Epley, FDD Policy Brief

“The state of global jihad with Preston Stewart,” Joe Truzman, Bill Roggio, and Preston Stewart, Generation Jihad (by FDD’s Long War Journal)

“Israel to Attend Hostage Talks as U.S., Arab Leaders Urge ‘Immediate Relief’,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Microsoft Report Exposes Iranian Cyber Warfare Targeting U.S. Election,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Bombs Hamas HQ in Precision Strike, Refutes Hamas Casualty Reports,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“U.S. Intelligence Assessment Drops Claim That Iran ‘Not Currently Undertaking’ Nuclear Weapons Development,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel SitRep: August 9, 2024,” FDD Experts, FDD Israel at War Situation Report