IDF Activities
- Five IDF soldiers have fallen in the past week, in three separate incidents in the Gaza Strip. A total of 831 soldiers have been killed since October 7, 2023 and 5,588 have been wounded. Of these, almost 200 remain hospitalized. See here for a full list of casualties.
- On Monday, a terrorist attack took place near Kedumim, on the road from Kfar Saba to Shchem. A terrorist opened fire on a bus, killing three Israelis and wounding eight. Yesterday, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the West Bank may be on the brink of war.
- Earlier in the week, the IDF released data about suicides in the military. Since October 7 some 28 IDF soldiers and officers have taken their own lives. Of these, 16 were soldiers from the reserves. This is the highest number of soldier suicides since 2011 and reports suggest that it reflects the tremendous emotional toll that the war is taking on fighters. According to commentators, reservists are particularly prone to depression due to their lives being upturned, with lengthy military service (sometimes in the range of 250 days per year). This in turn leads to great difficulties in relationships, domestic life, employment, and more.
- About one-third of Israeli troops have now withdrawn from southern Lebanon as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Lebanese Army troops have assumed numerous positions in the country’s south, as per the agreement, to prevent Hezbollah from returning to the area. While the deployments have been slower than hoped, many are optimistic that the ceasefire will hold.
- Over the past three days, Israel has facilitated the transfer of large quantities of humanitarian aid to several hospitals in the Gaza Strip, including 6,750 liters of fuel, 10,000 liters of water, dozens of food crates and nearly 300 boxes of medical supplies, all in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
|
Rocket Fire
- While rocket fire is relatively low, Hamas continues to fire sporadically, sparking one or two localized sirens in the south on an almost daily basis.
- Similarly, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen continue to fire ballistic missiles at Israel. Since these are intercepted above the earth’s atmosphere, shrapnel can fall over a very large area, so that each missile can trigger sirens in many cities, sending millions running to shelters. Most of the recent Houthi attacks have also occurred between 2:00 am-5:00 am.
- There have been no significant incidents of rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran, or from Syria or Iraq since the ceasefire agreement in the north came into effect.
|