The 96th day of the war: IDF forces continue maneuver in Gaza Strip
As the war in the Gaza Strip enters its 96th day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue their maneuver throughout the area. Over 150 targets were attacked in the last day in Khan Yunis, as well as in the Al Ma’azi area in the center of the Gaza Strip. Golani fighters uncovered over 15 underground shafts during a raid on military buildings, where rocket launchers, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and explosives were located. The exchange of fire also continues on the northern border, and this morning the air force attacked Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
In a surprising revelation, the newspaper “A-Sharq Al-Awast” this morning reveals new details about the planning and execution of the operation by Hamas. According to sources close to the leadership of the terrorist organization, only five senior officials, including Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Daf, were involved in receiving the decision to carry out the attack. The initial force that breached the fence consisted of only 70 Noch’ba fighters who were carefully selected and sworn to secrecy.
Following the hard news regarding the death of 9 IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip, including six soldiers who were killed in an operational accident in al-Boreij, the IDF spokesman this morning allowed the name of another IDF soldier to be published: Maj. Gen. (Res.) Elkana Neulander, 24 years old from Efrat, a combat medic at the Habezeq training headquarters (99), who was killed in a battle in the center of the Gaza Strip. In the same battle, a reservist in the 7220th battalion of the ‘Yiftah’ brigade was seriously wounded.
Since the beginning of the war, a message has been given to the families of 520 IDF martyrs, including 186 fighters who fell in the battles in the Gaza Strip since the ground entry. More than 2,400 soldiers have been injured since the beginning of the war, with 50 still hospitalized in serious condition. 136 abductees are still in captivity in Gaza.
The news article was prepared by a team of journalists and contributors, including Or Heller, Alon Ben David, Hezi Simentov, and many others.