Israel SitRep: October 18, 2024

Today’s Issue: | IDF Believes Sinwar Lived in Tunnels for 90 Percent of War | IDF Kills Two Terrorists Who Infiltrated from Jordan, Searches for Third Man | Givati Brigade Joins Fighting in Jabalya; IAF Strikes Some 150 Targets in Gaza and Lebanon | 188th Brigade Destroys Hezbollah Regional Headquarters, Seals Tunnel Shafts | Latest FDD Analysis

IDF Believes Sinwar Lived in Tunnels for 90 Percent of War: On Friday, Doron Kadosh, military correspondent for Israel’s army radio, published additional information on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The IDF believes Sinwar wanted to flee Rafah toward the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone but that army operations in recent months, especially the encirclement of the Tel Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, prevented him from escaping. The IDF has carried out dozens of special operations in the Rafah area in recent months to collect intelligence on Sinwar and other Hamas officials believed to be there. When the war began on October 7, Sinwar was in a tunnel in Khan Younis, north of Rafah. According to the IDF, operations by the 98th Division in Khan Younis earlier this year caused Sinwar and other Hamas leaders, including Muhammad Deif, to head toward Rafah. The IDF investigated how they were able to escape when Khan Younis was encircled, and found that the encirclement was not tight enough. When the army entered Rafah, Deif fled north to Khan Younis, where he was assassinated in an Israel airstrike. Sinwar was apparently unable to escape and remained in Rafah. The IDF believes that for 90 percent of the war, Sinwar was living in tunnels and only moved aboveground to move to another hiding place.

IDF Kills Two Terrorists Who Infiltrated from Jordan, Searches for Third Man: On Friday, two terrorists entered Israeli territory from Jordan, south of the Dead Sea, and fired pistols at an Israeli vehicle, leaving one IDF soldier lightly wounded and another with moderate wounds. A female soldier and a male soldier killed two of the terrorists several meters from the border fence, and additional troops were sent to the area to search for a third man, who the IDF believes fled the scene. According to Doron Kadosh, military correspondent for Israel’s army radio, today’s attack is additional proof that the old idea that the northern part of the border is the primary security threat is not correct, and that areas farther south in the Arava could also be a problem. The Israeli defense establishment has presented a plan to government officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, for addressing the situation on the Jordanian border, which includes building a barrier at a cost of 3 billion shekels (some $800 million). However, no budget has been approved for the plan. According to Kadosh, it is clear that such a barrier is useless without a sufficient number of troops to guard the border, and thus, the IDF is planning to establish another division there.

Givati Brigade Joins Fighting in Jabalya; IAF Strikes Some 150 Targets in Gaza and Lebanon: The IDF reported on Friday that overnight, troops from the Givati Brigade joined the fighting in the Jabalya area in northern Gaza as part of the expansion of the 162nd Division’s activity. Over the past day, Israeli Air Force fighter jets and troops from the division eliminated terrorists through airstrikes and destroyed terror infrastructure in the area. In central Gaza, soldiers from the 252nd Division attacked a building from which terrorists were operating. In addition, the IAF struck some 150 targets in Gaza and Lebanon, including sniper and observation posts, launch shafts, and weapons depots. In Lebanon, an IAF drone strike called in by the IDF’s 98th Division killed Muhammad Hassin Ramal, commander of Hezbollah’s Taibe Brigade, who directed terrorist activity against Israel and IDF troops.

188th Brigade Destroys Hezbollah Regional Headquarters, Seals Tunnel Shafts: On Friday, the IDF reported that troops from the 188th Armored Brigade, part of the 36th Division, are continuing ground operations in southern Lebanon, destroying several shafts, a large quantity of weapons, dozens of weapons depots, and dozens of Hezbollah infrastructures. In the past few days, engineering troops from the brigade found a tunnel connecting two shafts in the area where fighting was taking place, in which they found documents, equipment enabling long-term stays, and weapons. Working with the Northern Command’s engineering unit, the soldiers sealed the shafts. In addition, an airstrike destroyed Hezbollah’s regional headquarters, from which many projectiles had been fired toward northern Israel in recent months. Four terrorists who were in the headquarters were killed.

Latest FDD Analysis:

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

“Yahya Sinwar Rests in Pieces,” Clifford D. May featuring Mark Dubowitz, Jonathan Schanzer, and Hussain Abdul-Hussain, FDD’s Foreign Podicy

“Sinwar is Dead: Now What?” Jonathan Conricus, Hussain Abdul-Hussain, and Jonathan Schanzer, FDD SITREP

“Israeli troops kill wanted Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar,” Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio, FDD’s Long War Journal

“IDF strikes 490 Hezbollah targets in ground and air operations,” Seth J. Frantzman, FDD’s Long War Journal

“Israel Looks to Private Defense Sector to Counter Drones,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar Eliminated in IDF Operation,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“U.S. B-2 Bombers Strike Houthi Weapon Depots in Yemen,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Five Israeli Commandos Killed in Lebanon,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief