Friday, December 29, marks day 84 of the war that commenced with rocket attacks on central Israel from Gaza and an invasion by thousands of Hamas militants. The ongoing confrontation has resulted in the deaths of over a thousand civilians, along with hundreds of police and military personnel. Approximately 240 Israelis and foreign citizens were captured, with many still being held in the Gaza Strip.
A ceasefire was in place from November 24-30, enabling the release of 105 hostages held by terrorists, including 81 Israelis. To date, Hamas has released a total of 109 hostages, with one female soldier rescued by the IDF during the Gaza operation. Unfortunately, some hostages have been confirmed deceased. Three hostages, who had escaped from terrorists, were accidentally killed by the Israeli military. According to the IDF, terrorists currently hold 128 hostages in the Gaza Strip, including 117 Israeli citizens.
On October 7, the first day of the war, Hamas terrorists targeted a music festival near the Gaza border in the Reim forest. Approximately 3,000 attendees were present at the festival. The attack resulted in thousands of casualties and hundreds of hostages. Terrorists conducted massacres in the Be'eri, Kfar Aza, and Nir Oz villages, claiming the lives of many, including the elderly, women, and children. Additionally, they invaded Sderot, Ofakim, Netivot, and other Western Negev settlements, causing fatalities and carrying out thefts against Israelis.
Shortly after the attack, Hamas declared war on Israel, giving its actions the name "Al-Aqsa Flood". In response, the Israeli government declared a state of war (for the first time since 1973) and the beginning of the War of "Iron Swords".
In Israel, almost 1,400 people died on October 7 and in the following days of the war. About 11,000 people were wounded or injured. Among those killed were citizens from Israel, the USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Brazil, China, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Nepal, South Africa, Sudan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
Israel has not suffered such losses since the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago.
A ground military operation has been ongoing in Gaza since late October. During clashes with terrorists in the Gaza Strip, the IDF suffered substantial losses, with 154 soldiers killed. The IDF reported around 8,000 Hamas militants and their leaders killed in Gaza since the war began. Additionally, there were casualties among military personnel during border confrontations with Lebanon.
Since the beginning of the war, over 12,000 rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip, with the IDF estimating that up to 15% landed within Gaza. Additionally, hundreds of rockets were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon, with about 20% landing on Lebanese territory. Both Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists utilized attack UAVs.
Since the war began, hundreds of thousands of Israelis, in both the southern and northern regions, were compelled to flee their homes.
The IDF continues to intensively strike Gaza targets using Air Force, Navy, and artillery. Over 22,000 targets in Gaza have been attacked since the war began. Strikes on southern Lebanon targets are routine, and the IDF is conducting operations within Syria.
The Gaza Ministry of Health (linked to Hamas) reports more than 21,500 fatalities and over 56,000 wounded since the war's onset.
UN reports 1.7 million Gaza residents displaced, with WHO stating 1.3 million in south strip shelters. The IDF says 1 million displaced Gazans are living in shelters in the south of the strip.
Humanitarian aid entered Gaza on October 21, with a significant portion received by Hamas.
EVENT TIMELINE
23:00
IDF forces have once again targeted the infrastructure of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon. Earlier, the IDF air force attacked a Hezbollah firing position. According to the IDF press service, in response to recent air raid alerts, two rockets fired from Syrian territory were discovered, landing in open areas. The IDF promptly retaliated by targeting the terrorists' positions with fire.
22:00
The soldiers of the 636th Battalion successfully neutralized a terrorist who attempted to throw an explosive device at an IDF checkpoint near the city of Abu Dis within the territory of the Etzion Regional Brigade. The attempted terrorist attack was thwarted, resulting in no casualties among the Israeli soldiers.
An air raid alert has been issued in the northern Golan areas of Majd Al-Shams, Nimrod, and Masada.
20:00
The reservists of the 14th Brigade, under the command of the 162nd Division, operating near Gaza City, discovered and destroyed an apartment belonging to Yahya Sinouar, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza. Soldiers of the Ya'alom special forces found an underground entrance to a tunnel in this house, allegedly used by the military and political "elite" of Hamas.
The tunnel, located in the north of the Gaza Strip, is 218 meters long and about 20 meters deep. It is equipped with electricity, ventilation, and sewage infrastructure, featuring toilets and prayer rooms, and is generally designed for terrorists to inhabit for extended periods. Following the operational activities, fighters from the Yaalom special forces destroyed this tunnel.
17:00
The Gaza border kibbutz Zikim came under shelling.
16:00
Over the past few hours, IDF fighter jets have targeted Hezbollah's terrorist locations in southern Lebanon, specifically in the Wadi Hamul region. The targets included firing positions, a bridgehead, and other terrorist strongholds.
IDF forces encountered a group of terrorists in the Itaron area, previously responsible for firing anti-tank missiles toward the village of Baram.
The IDF spokesperson stated that incidents involving an enemy drone breaching Israeli territory are considered resolved and no longer pose a threat to the country's security.
Multiple launches of anti-tank missiles originated from Lebanese territory toward Israel, with at least three missiles reaching Israeli soil. IDF artillery retaliated by targeting the positions responsible for the attacks.
At 16:06, alarms were sounded in the Upper and Western Galilee, near the border with Lebanon, with alarm signals heard in over ten settlements.
15:00
At 15:27, an alarm was heard in the Upper Galilee, near the border with Lebanon. Alarm signals were sounded in the villages of Zarit and Shomera.
14:00
Alarm in the Upper Galilee: Alleged rocket attack and attempted UAV intrusion.
Alarm in the Upper Galilee: Presumed attempt at UAV infiltration.
Alarm in the Upper Galilee: Rocket attack confirmed.
13:00
At the Adoraim intersection (Hebron Highlands) on Route 60, a car terrorist attack occurred. Four individuals were injured, seemingly military personnel. One victim, approximately 25 years old, sustained moderate injuries including a head injury and loss of consciousness, while three other victims, around 20 years old, suffered minor injuries. The injured individuals were transported to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. The military neutralized the driver responsible for the collision.
An alarm was reported near the border with Lebanon in the villages of Neot Mordechai and Kfal Bloom, with recorded missile launches.
11:00
IDF forces, the General Security Service (Shin Bet), and the Border Police (MAHAV) detained 12 terrorist suspects in Judea and Samaria, including two from Hamas.
The detainees were transferred to Shin Bet investigators for questioning. The IDF press office reported the arrest of suspects and the seizure of weapons in Kaffina, Dir Abu Mishal, Zurif, Dura, and Faraa.
Approximately 2,550 people suspected of terrorism have been captured in the Palestinian Authority since the war began on October 7, 2023. Around 1,300 of these individuals have connections to the terrorist group Hamas.
10:00
Alarms blared in Kiryat Shmona and surrounding areas, hinting at a potential attempt to breach Israeli airspace with a UAV originating from Lebanon. The alert spread across villages including Tel Hai, Misgav Am, Margaliyot, Maayan Baruch, Manara, Metula, Kfar Yuval, Kfar Giladi, Beit Hillel, Snir, Shaar Yeshuv, Dan, Rajar, A-Goshrim, and Daphne. However, the IDF swiftly confirmed the false nature of the alarm.
On another front, the IDF disclosed details of a skirmish that occurred on December 29 in the northern Gaza Strip, revealing the tragic death of Captain Arel Sharvit, a 33-year-old officer from the 7008th battalion of the 551st Hitzei HaEsh brigade.
Further casualties emerged from the same conflict, with an officer and a soldier from a military engineering school reportedly sustaining severe injuries in the Gaza Strip battles.
09:00
The IDF have expanded their operational zone in the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip, as reported in an official statement. Over the last 24 hours, soldiers from the 460th brigade have reported the elimination of dozens of terrorists in the region.
Soldiers from the 7th Brigade identified a terrorist in Khan Yunis located approximately 100 meters away and relayed the target's location to the Air Force. An airstrike successfully neutralized a group of militants hiding within a building.
In a separate operation, soldiers from the 261st brigade conducted a thorough search of a house on the outskirts of Jabaliya in the northern sector. During the search, they discovered weapons, training materials meant for militants, and disturbing photographs depicting children with weapons.
06:00
The Gaza Ministry of Health, which operates under Hamas, reported that more than 30 people were killed in the attacks by the IDF last night.
05:00
The IDF artillery fired at targets located east and south of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
04:00
PA sources have reported that IDF forces are conducting operations in the village of Dir Abu Mishal, northwest of Ramallah.
Additionally, PA sources have confirmed IDF operations in the village of Kaffin, located north of Tul Karem.
03:00
According to PA sources, IDF forces are currently conducting operations in Qalqilya.
Moreover, sources from Gaza have reported clashes occurring in the central and southern regions of the strip, including areas within Gaza City such as Sheikh Raduan, At-Tuffa, and Ad-Daraj.
02:00
PA sources have reported that army and border police forces are currently active in the villages of Umm al-Sharayet, Kafr Aqab, Rafat, and Qalandiya, located south of Ramallah. Reports of clashes and injuries on the Palestinian side have emerged from these areas.
Meanwhile, sources in Gaza have confirmed new IDF attacks in the Al-Maghazi area situated in the center of the strip, resulting in casualties with individuals killed and wounded.
Additionally, PA sources have disclosed that IDF forces are engaged in operations in the village of Dura, located south of Hebron.
01:00
PA sources have confirmed that IDF forces are conducting operations in Balata, situated on the eastern outskirts of Nablus.
Furthermore, PA sources have reported IDF operations underway in Hebron.
Additionally, PA sources have indicated that IDF forces are active in the Ain al-Sultan camp within the Jericho territory.
Sources from Gaza have reported casualties, both killed and wounded, resulting from another IDF strike on a target in the Al-Bureij camp, located in the center of the strip.
Moreover, PA sources have disclosed that IDF forces are carrying out operations in Bayt Ummar, situated north of Hebron.
00:00
On the night of December 29, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported a second Israeli Air Force attack on targets near Damascus.
It's reported that air defense forces intercepted several missiles during this assault, which was carried out from Lebanese airspace. The agency stated that while property damage occurred, there were no casualties.
Earlier, Syrian media had reported explosions in Damascus. The London-based monitoring group, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), mentioned that the strike aimed to prevent a cargo plane from Iran, carrying weapons, from landing at Damascus International Airport. However, other opposition media sources argued that the attack targeted Iranian facilities at Tel A-Sahen in southern Syria, not the international airport.
Palestinian sources have confirmed that IDF Navy boats shelled the coastal area of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central part of the sector.
According to the Palestinian News Agency, 21 individuals lost their lives in an attack on a residential building in Rafah.
The Israeli military is conducting a search in the house of Ahmad Alian, responsible for a terrorist attack at the Mazmoriya checkpoint. The Palestinian Information Center claims that the perpetrator was affiliated with the Islamic State.
The most recent attacks from Gaza were recorded at 17:24 on December 28. During the ongoing conflict, terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip usually (though not always) halt rocket fire toward Israeli territory overnight.
