October 22, 2024 - October 7 War, Day 382
Loan Funds: See this piece that appeared in yesterday’s Jerusalem Post: Why Jewish Federation loans are instrumental in Israel's resilience
The North
- The war in the north continues to see heavy fighting. The IDF has deployed large forces in south Lebanon, and is clearing villages of Hezbollah personnel while locating large amounts of weapons and explosives. Four IDF reserve brigades are now deployed in Lebanon.
- The IDF has also been targeting Hezbollah’s top military leadership; seven of the terror group’s brigade commanders, 21 battalion commanders, and 24 company commanders have been eliminated. It is estimated that 1,500 Hezbollah fighters have also been killed from the ground and the air. Additionally, the IDF has struck over 3,200 terror targets, including hundreds of weapons storage facilities, rocket launchers, anti-tank posts, terrorist infrastructure, and command and control centers.
- The IDF also revealed yesterday that the recently-killed Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's bunkerin Dahieh in southern Beirut was located underneath the Al-Sahel Hospital, where a half billion dollars in cash and gold was discovered. The IDF is going after Hezbollah’s financial assets to undermine the group’s ability to fund terror and military attacks.
- A half billion dollars in cash and gold was discovered. The IDF is going after Hezbollah’s financial assets to undermine the group’s ability to fund terror and military attacks.
- On Sunday night, the IDF also struck dozens of facilities and sites used to finance Hezbollah’s activities. Targets were hit in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and other areas. The Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, Hezbollah’s primary financial institution, is estimated to manage billions of dollars in funds with over 400,000 accounts.
- Dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of Hezbollah rockets, drones and other projectiles continue to be fired on Israeli cities and population centers each day, sending millions of Israeli citizens running for shelters.
- In addition to those towns in border regions that have been evacuated, large un-evacuated cities like Haifa, Akko (Acre), Tzfat (Safed) and Karmiel are being targeted multiple times a day.
- One drone was deliberately fired at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea over the weekend. The Prime Minister and his family were not in the building when the drone hit.
- Rockets have also been launched at cities in the center, including Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Rishon Letzion, triggering sirens, as recently as earlier today. In the attack on Tel Aviv this morning, four of the projectiles were intercepted and one fell in an open space. No damage was reported.
- While most attacks have resulted in damage only, one man was killed by rocket debris in Akko last week, and earlier today another was severely injured in Neot Mordechai.
- The United States has deployed its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to Israel, as Israel considers its response to Iran's recent missile attack. One hundred US military personnel are also on the ground in the Jewish state to operate the system.
Gaza
- Following the elimination last week of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, it is reported that the new leader of Hamas is Sinwar’s brother Mohammed, who had until now served as Hamas’ military head in the Strip.
- Sinwar’s body was positively identified by Israeli authorities who had DNA, dental, and other records of the terrorist leader from the time he spent in an Israeli jail.
- Reports suggest cautious new hope on a hostage deal as Sinwar had been viewed by many as one of the main obstacles to previously proposed deals. His death also allows Israel to enter a deal from a position where the IDF is seen as having vanquished Hamas, as well as being able to use Sinwar’s body as an additional bargaining chip. On the other hand, it could be that the new Hamas leadership will not want to be seen as being too compromising.
- Shirel Golan, a survivor of the October 7 Nova festival, has committed suicide, following ongoing post-traumatic stress.
International
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US Special Mideast Envoy Amos Hochstein visited Lebanon yesterday to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, while Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Israel earlier today. According to some media reports, Israel would be willing to agree to a comprehensive deal that would remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Resolution 1701, provided that the Lebanese Army assume control over the areas evacuated by Hezbollah. The reports suggest that Israel is also demanding freedom of operation in the event that Hezbollah returns to the south, as well as a “security zone” inside Lebanon, in an area around two-thirds of a mile wide, along the border.