January 29, 2025 | Israel at War Situation Report
Israel SitRep: January 29, 2025
January 29, 2025 Israel at War Situation Report
Israel SitRep: January 29, 2025
Today’s Issue: | Northern Command Head Gordin: IDF Has ‘Set Hezbollah Back Decades’ | Defense Minister Katz Visits Syrian Side of Mount Hermon: ‘We Will Act Against Any Threat’ | IDF Continuing Operations in Southern Lebanon ‘To Remove Threats and Terrorist Infrastructure’ | Defense Minister Katz In Jenin: ‘We Have Declared War on Palestinian Terror in Judea and Samaria’ | Latest FDD Analysis
Northern Command Head Gordin: IDF Has ‘Set Hezbollah Back Decades’: Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, head of the IDF’s Northern Command, told Israeli news outlet Israel Hayom that the IDF has “set Hezbollah back decades” by “almost entirely” eliminating its leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah. He also noted that “thousands of terrorists have been neutralized, killed in battle or taken out in targeted strikes,” adding: “More than 70% of Hezbollah’s firepower has been destroyed, and it can no longer mount an effective strike.” According to Gordin, the IDF “dismantled the [Hezbollah] Radwan Unit’s defense, weapons stockpiles, and infrastructure,” and “the Radwan forces and Hezbollah are incapable of invading the Galilee.” Gordin warned that while “Hezbollah has been defeated … on the operational and tactical military levels,” the victory will not be complete until residents of northern Israel can return home. He added: “The October 7 threat has been neutralized for the foreseeable future, and we must ensure this remains the case for years to come.”
Defense Minister Katz Visits Syrian Side of Mount Hermon: ‘We Will Act Against Any Threat’: Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the Syrian side of Mount Hermon on Tuesday, speaking with IDF soldiers and holding an assessment with senior officers. During the visit, Katz stated that “the IDF will remain at the summit of the Hermon and the security zone indefinitely to ensure the security of the communities of the Golan Heights and the north, and all the residents of Israel.” He noted that Israel will be in touch with “friendly populations” in southern Syria, particularly the Druze community, which, he said, “has historic and close family relations with our Druze brothers in Israel.” Katz added: “We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria … we will act against any threat.”
IDF Continuing Operations in Southern Lebanon ‘To Remove Threats and Terrorist Infrastructure’: The IDF on Tuesday published an update on operations in southern Lebanon, stating that troops from the Northern Command are continuing operations there “to remove threats and terrorist infrastructure.” According to the IDF, the operations are being conducted “in accordance with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and in order to preserve operational achievements.” Earlier this week, a vehicle transporting Hezbollah members approached IDF troops in southwest Lebanon, and the soldiers “acted to remove” the threat, though the announcement does not specify how. In addition, on Monday evening, Northern Command head Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin held a situation assessment with commanders.
Defense Minister Katz In Jenin: ‘We Have Declared War on Palestinian Terror in Judea and Samaria’: On Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz visited IDF troops operating in the Jenin refugee camp as part of the Iron Wall counterterrorism operation, which Katz said is intended “to defeat the terror infrastructure built in the Palestinian refugee camps with Iranian financing and supply.” During the visit, he stated that when the operation is over, the IDF will remain in the refugee camp to prevent the return of terrorism. “We have declared war on Palestinian terror in Judea and Samaria,” Katz said, adding: “I send a clear message from here to the Palestinian Authority: Stop funding terrorism and murder of Jews, and start fighting terror seriously. Anyone who funds the families of terrorists and murderers, and educates his children to destroy Israel, endangers his very existence.”
Latest FDD Analysis:
Today at 8:30am (ET): “FDD Morning Brief,” featuring David Daoud and Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Event
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