Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., January 18, 2024)
IDF forces continue the integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the Khan Yunis area. In the northern and central Strip, operations were carried out.. Palestinians reported heavy fighting in the Khan Yunis area. Senior Hamas members said they continued to wage the campaign forcefully and claimed they inflicted heavy losses on the IDF forces. Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman reported the delivery of drugs and humanitarian aid for the residents of the Gaza Strip and drugs for the hostages. Hamas said that the delivery of the drugs had not changed their position and insisted that any negotiations regarding the hostages would take place only after a ceasefire.Communication networks have been inoperative for seven days.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for five attacks on IDF positions on the Lebanese border. Hamas' military wing claimed responsibility for launching rockets at the Western Galilee.The activity of IDF forces continues in Tulkarm. According to the Palestinians, the activity focuses on the Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, where heavy exchanges of fire are taking place.The Houthis attacked another ship in the Red Sea. The United States military attacked targets in Yemen for the fourth time. The United States included the Houthis on its list of designated terrorist organizations. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) criticized the measure.According to reports, a new Islamist organization called the al-Farouq Brigades was established in the Sinai Peninsula to "assist" the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
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