Israel SitRep: August 19, 2024

Today’s Issue: | Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Claim Responsibility for Sunday Night’s Explosion in Tel Aviv | Hezbollah Confirms Deaths of Two Operatives on the ‘Road to Jerusalem’  | IDF Continues Operations in Central and Southern Gaza, Finding Weapons, Eliminating Terrorists | COGAT Publishes Details of Joint Efforts to Combat Polio in Gaza | Latest FDD Analysis

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Claim Responsibility for Sunday Night’s Explosion in Tel Aviv: On Monday, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Sunday night’s explosion in Tel Aviv, which according to the Israel Police and Shin Bet was an attempted terrorist attack. The bomber, a resident of the Nablus area, was killed in the explosion, caused by a bomb estimated to weigh less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds). A passerby was moderately wounded by the bomb, which exploded at about 8 p.m. on Ha’lehi Street. Footage shows the suspect walking along Ha’etzel Street toward Ha’lehi Street wearing a large backpack. Hamas issued a statement saying it would continue suicide attacks “as long as Israel continues its massacre and policy of assassinations in Gaza.” Meanwhile, in Jenin in the West Bank, a taxi driver was lightly injured after driving over an explosive device. According to Carmel Dangor, the West Bank correspondent for Israel’s Kan News, the device was intended to be used against Israeli security forces when they entered Jenin.

Hezbollah Confirms Deaths of Two Operatives on the ‘Road to Jerusalem’: After an Israeli airstrike on a terror cell in the village of Houla in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of two of its operatives “on the road to Jerusalem,” the expression Hezbollah uses for members killed in Israeli strikes. The two were named Muhammad Ali Hassan Qaddouh from Ghandouriyeh and Abbas Melhem from Majdal Selm. Both villages are about six miles from the border with Israel. Hezbollah has now lost at least 414 operatives to Israeli strikes since the Gaza war began. The Israeli Air Force also struck a rocket launcher in Ayta al-Shab. In addition, the IAF struck Hezbollah military buildings in the areas of Ayta Al-Shab and Hanin.

IDF Continues Operations in Central and Southern Gaza, Finding Weapons, Eliminating Terrorists: On Monday, the IDF reported on operations in Gaza, noting that the 98th Division directed airstrikes, including a drone strike that killed the Hamas operative who launched rockets last night from the southern Gaza Strip toward Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. In the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, which is in southern Gaza, troops from the 162nd Division killed dozens of terrorists, also destroying a large number of terrorist infrastructures above and below ground and finding weapons. After an anti-tank missile was fired at soldiers, the Israeli Air Force eliminated the operative who shot it. In the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, the 252nd Division is continuing operations, including calling in an airstrike on a hideout in which two Hamas operatives were located as well as a Hamas command center. The two were killed in the strike. Overall, the IAF has struck more than 45 targets in Gaza in the past day.

COGAT Publishes Details of Joint Efforts to Combat Polio in Gaza: On Sunday, COGAT, the Israeli entity coordinating humanitarian aid for Gaza, published information about its efforts to address the discovery in Gaza of poliovirus type 2, which appeared in six out of seven sewage samples collected last month from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Noting that 95 percent of people in Gaza have been vaccinated, COGAT added that it is working with the Israeli Health Ministry as well as the World Health Organization and UNICEF on a campaign to vaccinate 600,000 children from 0-8, which is planned for the end of August. The WHO and UNICEF have sent three polio experts to Gaza to collect stool samples. The IDF published additional data on polio Sunday, noting that since the war began, 282,126 vials of the vaccine, which is enough for ten times that number of doses, have entered Gaza.

Latest FDD Analysis:

“Taiwan, Under the Guns,” Clifford D. May, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, and Craig Singleton, FDD’s Foreign Podicy

“Israel’s Approach to Iran May Be Getting Bolder,” Reuel Marc Gerecht and Mark Dubowitz, The Wall Street Journal

“The US needs more pop-up air bases worldwide to keep enemies guessing,” Bradley Bowman and Lydia LaFavor, Defense News

“Mr. Abbas goes to Moscow and Ankara,” Ben Cohen, Jewish News Syndicate

“Hezbollah targets northern Israel with rockets and drones in latest escalation,” Seth J. Frantzman, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Hezbollah Unveils Vast Underground Missile Complex,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Wave of Executions Continues in Iran,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Treasury Sanctions Iranian Proxies Smuggling Commodities,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Israel SitRep: August 16, 2024,” FDD Experts, FDD Israel at War Situation Report