Israel SitRep: December 4, 2024

Today’s Issue: | Alma: Hezbollah Ceasefire Violations Continue; Terror Group Restoring Damaged Civilian Infrastructure, Paying Compensation Through Al-Qard Al-Hassan | Israeli Defense Ministry Signs Contracts With Elbit Systems for Autonomous Systems and Advanced Drones | 26 Ultra-Orthodox F-16 Technicians Complete IAF Training Course, Part of ‘Groundbreaking Pilot Program’ | COGAT: 122 Aid Trucks Entered Gaza Yesterday; 31 Patients and Caregivers Left Gaza for Medical Treatment | Latest FDD Analysis

Alma: Hezbollah Ceasefire Violations Continue; Terror Group Restoring Damaged Civilian Infrastructure, Paying Compensation Through Al-Qard Al-Hassan: On Wednesday, the Alma Research and Education Center stated in its daily update that Hezbollah continues to violate the ceasefire and is restoring civilian infrastructure in the Beqaa Valley. Dozens of ceasefire violations were reported in the past day, and the IDF responded by firing at 10 villages in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s leadership in the Beqaa Valley area announced that it has completed several reconstruction projects including repairing homes that were damaged and returning them to their owners. It is employing 12 teams with engineers and field coordinators and for each home damaged, is paying compensation worth $12,000 through Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a U.S. Treasury-designated Hezbollah financial institution. According to Alma, this suggests that the institution, which the IDF struck in late October, has resumed operations.

Israeli Defense Ministry Signs Contracts With Elbit Systems for Autonomous Systems and Advanced Drones: The Israeli Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) announced on Tuesday that it has signed several contracts with Israeli defense technology company Elbit Systems to supply the IDF with autonomous systems and advanced drones. The contracts are worth some $40 million. The systems being purchased were developed jointly by the DDR&D, the IDF Ground Forces, and Elbit Systems and feature advanced capabilities such as targeted strikes and precise intelligence collection. Specifically, Elbit will be providing mission drones that provide terrain dominance and feature attack capabilities and advanced ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance); “mini-drone-based strike solutions,” to be used for urban missions; intelligence-collecting drones, which can operate “within Seek & Strike swarms and intelligence platoons”; and resilient communication systems for unmanned platforms.

26 Ultra-Orthodox F-16 Technicians Complete IAF Training Course, Part of ‘Groundbreaking Pilot Program’: The IDF announced on Wednesday that a graduation ceremony was held yesterday at the technical base in Haifa for 26 haredi (ultra-Orthodox) soldiers who completed a course for level A technicians for F-16 aircraft. The soldiers will serve in a unit based in a hardened aircraft shelter of the 105th Squadron at the Ramat David Air Base. This is the first IDF level A training course for haredi soldiers, and the military describes it as a “groundbreaking pilot program” and part of “significant processes” for integrating haredi youth into the army while accommodating their religious needs — such as food with special kosher certification and a synagogue — and “providing a response to the IDF’s needs.” The announcement adds that the army is “committed to making all the adjustments necessary in order to ensure the Air Force’s readiness for its missions,” and notes that the unit “opens the door to anyone who wishes to take part in operational activity and to have an impact.”

COGAT: 122 Aid Trucks Entered Gaza Yesterday; 31 Patients and Caregivers Left Gaza for Medical Treatment: On Wednesday, COGAT, the Israeli entity coordinating humanitarian aid for Gaza, published its update for December 3, stating that on Tuesday, 122 aid trucks entered Gaza with flour, food, shelter equipment, and medical supplies. Of these, 50 went through the Erez crossing to northern Gaza. International organizations collected the contents of 49 trucks from the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom, leaving some 780 truckloads still awaiting collection. In addition, six cooking gas tankers and seven fuel tankers for essential infrastructure entered Gaza, and 31 patients and caregivers left Gaza through Kerem Shalom for medical treatment in the United States or Jordan. On Tuesday, COGAT reported that 66 patients and caregivers from Shifa Hospital and Kamal Adwan Hospital were transferred to other hospitals in Gaza, adding that it coordinated and facilitated medical supplies and fuel for operating Kamal Adwan.

Latest FDD Analysis:

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

“Biden’s Radical Reading,” Jonathan Schanzer, Commentary

“Natural allies: Iranians reject regime’s anti-Israel policies,” Saeed Ghasseminejad and Janatan Sayeh, Ynet News

“Gulf countries talk like Iran, act like Israel,” Hussain Abdul-Hussain, The Times of Israel

“Jihadi Rebel Surge Disrupts White House Plans for Syria,” David Adesnik and Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Policy Brief

“Tehran on the back foot: Proxy struggles and Assad’s dilemma,” Janatan Sayeh, FDD’s Long War Journal

“‘We Will Go Deeper’: Israel Warns Lebanon of Consequences Should Ceasefire With Hezbollah Collapse,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Rivals Hamas and Fatah Near Agreement For Post-War Gaza Governance,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

“‘All Hell to Pay’: President-elect Trump Issues Strident Demand to Release Hostages in Gaza,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief