Israel at War: What happened on Day 64?

Hamas terrorists fired rockets toward Israel from the designated humanitarian zone on Friday evening around 6:00 p.m. IST, the IDF said on Saturday afternoon.

The IDF added that the terror organization had also launched a sum of four other rockets in the preceding hours from the humanitarian zone.

These earlier rockets reportedly landed within the Gaza Strip.

In recent days, the IDF has made numerous discoveries of weapons and infrastructure in civilian areas and items that it points to as evidence that Hamas uses civilian areas to conduct its activities.

Earlier on Saturday, the IDF reported that it had found a teddy bear packed with ammunition and a hidden sniper rifle.

Hamas rocket launches from the humanitarian zone of the Gaza Strip. December 8, 2023. (credit: IDF)

Nahal Brigade kills Hamas fighters in Jabalya

Soldiers of the Nahal Brigade’s 931st Battalion engaged Hamas terrorists in the northern Gazan city of Jabalya, the IDF stated on Sunday.

During operations in the area, the Nahal Brigade soldiers received intelligence indicating Hamas fighters and weapons were present in structures nearby, the IDF said.

The IDF troops subsequently initiated a precision strike on those locations.

The Israeli military added that Hamas terrorists had attempted to stage an ambush on the Israeli troops located in the vicinity, but were foiled by an IDF flanking maneuver through an alley, catching the terrorists unprepared.

Hamas fighters reportedly returned fire and threw grenades at the Israeli forces, and the ensuing firefight continued until the Hamas forces were eliminated. 

In recent days, engagements between IDF troops and Hamas terrorists have occurred within the same vicinity, the IDF noted, with more Hamas fighters being eliminated by the 931st Battalion who managed to locate Hamas weaponry and infrastructure in the area. 

Other terrorists in the area have also been recently killed by IDF tank fire and IAF UAVs, the army said.

The IDF announced the names of another five fallen Israeli soldiers on Saturday evening.

Staff-Sergeant-Major (res.) Liav Atiya, 25, from Be'er Sheva, fell in combat in the southern Gaza Strip. Atiya was a soldier in Battalion 6623, a reconnaissance battalion.

Staff-Sergeant-Major (res.) Omri Ben Shachar, 25, from Givatayim, also of Battalion 6623, was also killed in combat in the southern Gaza Strip.

Sergeant Maor Cohen Eisenkot, 19, from Eilat, was a soldier in the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. Sergeant Eisenkot likewise was killed fighting in southern Gaza. Eisenkot is the nephew of Minister Gadi Eisenkot from the National Unity Party, whose son also recently fell in battle.

Staff-Sergeant Jonathan Dean Jr Haim, 25, from Ramat Gan, was a soldier in Engineering Battalion 603. Haim also fell in combat in southern Gaza.

Finally, Staff-Sergeant Chaim Meir Adan, 20, from Rehovot, fought in the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. On Saturday, Staff-Sergeant Adan succumbed to wounds incurred fighting in Gaza on Thursday.

Soldiers from the 12th Battalion of the IDF’s 98th Brigade, along with the air force, raided a Khan Yunis mosque being used by Hamas for military purposes, killing numerous terrorists, the IDF said on Saturday.

During the fighting, an explosive device exploded near the Israeli troops, prompting the brigade’s artillery to launch rapid strikes in the area, the IDF added. Additionally, more terrorists were reportedly eliminated by a combat helicopter after they attempted to attack IDF troops on the roof of the mosque.

The helicopter also targeted terrorists emerging from a tunnel as well as others present in the vicinity.

Ultimately, the mosque, and the infrastructure beneath it, were demolished by an Israeli aircraft, the Israeli military stated.

IDF counters terror activity in Gaza

Previously, on Friday night, fighters from the special forces Maglan unit observed three terrorists who came out of a tunnel before firing an RPG at IDF troops.

IDF personnel responded with small-arms fire, killing the terrorists.

An Israeli UAV, at the direction of ground troops, reportedly subsequently targeted and eliminated additional terrorists in the vicinity and destroyed the entrances to several tunnel shafts.

The IDF also said that soldiers of the Duvdevan unit located a Hamas military headquarters on Saturday evening. According to the Israeli military, the structure contained Hamas fighters who were preparing an ambush. The IDF subsequently initiated an attack on the building while a combat aircraft targeted a squad of terrorists nearby.

Soldiers from the Givati Brigade have also been involved in ground operations over the previous day, the IDF said.

Givati soldiers have been working to locate and expose extensive tunnel infrastructure, destroy terror facilities, and recover Hamas’s weapons and ammunition.

On Saturday morning, the brigade directed air force and combat helicopter strikes on terror infrastructure including launching positions for anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and Hamas military hideouts.

A military spokesperson for Yemen's Houthis warned all shipping companies on Saturday against cooperating with Israel, saying they will be a target of attack in the Red Sea.

"If Gaza does not receive the food and medicine it needs, all ships in the Red Sea bound for Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, will become a target for our armed forces," Yahya Saree said, announcing a ban on the passage of all ships en route to Israel.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been firing at Israel and ships in the Red Sea in a campaign they say aims to support the Palestinians. US warships have shot down several of their projectiles.

US President Joe Biden has given Israel until the end of the year to finish its war against Hamas, three anonymous officials in Tel Aviv said, POLITICO reported on Friday.

POLITICO noted that this timeline had been advanced by  Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent visit to Israel, but that National Security Advisor Jon Finer had said on Thursday that a hard deadline on the war will not be imposed by the US administration.

The Biden administration has used an emergency authority to allow the sale of about 14,000 tank shells to Israel without congressional review, the Pentagon said on Saturday.

The State Department on Friday used an Arms Export Control Act emergency declaration for the tank rounds worth $106.5 million for immediate delivery to Israel, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The shells are part of a bigger sale that was first reported by Reuters on Friday that the Biden administration is asking the US Congress to approve. The larger package is worth more than $500 million and comprises of 45,000 shells for Israel’s Merkava tanks, regularly deployed in its offensive in Gaza, which has killed thousands of civilians.

As the war intensified, how and where exactly the US weapons are used in the conflict has come under more scrutiny, even though US officials say there are no plans to put conditions on military aid to Israel or to consider withholding some of it.

US SECRETARY of State Antony Blinken speaks at a news conference in Tel Aviv on Thursday (credit: SAUL LOEB/REUTERS)

Rights advocates expressed concern over the sale, saying it doesn't align with Washington's effort to press Israel to minimize civilian casualties.

Within the interests of the United States

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined and provided detailed justification to Congress that the tank shells must immediately be provided to Israel in the national security interests of the United States, according to the Pentagon statement.

The sale will be from US Army inventory and consist of 120mm M830A1 High Explosive Anti-Tank Multi-Purpose with Tracer (MPAT) tank cartridges and related equipment.

"Israel will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense," the Pentagon said, adding that there will be no adverse impact on US defense readiness as a result of the sale.

Rockets were launched from Lebanese territory towards several areas in the north of Israel, according to an IDF spokesperson. There are no casualties.

In response to the attacks, the IDF shot toward the source of the fire.

The IDF also confirmed that forces fired from tanks to remove a threat in the Metula area.