The West

The IDF forces continued operating throughout the Gaza Strip, focusing on the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip and Khan Yunis in the south, and attacked more than 150 terrorist targets. The Palestinians reported heavy fighting in those and other areas in the Strip. According to reports, Egypt intends to close the Rafah Crossing in the near future. Egypt is apparently concerned that Gazans will migrate into its territory. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for four attacks over the past day. Ali Hussein Barji, commander of the south Lebanon region of Hezbollah's aerial unit, was killed in a targeted attack. As part of his tour of the Middle East, Antony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, arrived in Ramallah where he met with Mahmoud Abbas. He was greeted by a large protest demonstration.The United States and the UK reported that a large-scale attack carried out by the Houthis had been repelled; the attack targeted international shipping lanes used by dozens of ships. Read more...

The IDF forces focused on fighting in the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip where they found a series of arms factories, including factories manufacturing long-range rockets. In the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF strengthened their hold on Khan Yunis and took control of additional neighborhoods in the south of the city. Senior Hamas figures criticized the Israeli defense minister's comments about the IDF's entry into the third phase of combat. Hezbollah continued attacking IDF posts and concentrations of forces on the northern border. On the morning of January 9, 2024, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a UAV attack on a military headquarters in Safed. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also claimed responsibility for the attack. In Syria, the IDF eliminated a senior Hamas terrorist operative. American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken continued his tour of the Middle East countries. He met with the heads of government in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and is expected to arrive in Israel. Read more...

The IDF forces continued their integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the Khan Yunis area, where they expanded the activity to neighborhoods in the east of the city. In Shejaiya in the northern Gaza Strip, the forces destroyed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist facilities. The Palestinian media reported heavy fighting and airstrikes mainly in the Khan Yunis area There was sporadic rocket fire, for which the Jerusalem Brigades, the PIJ's military-terrorist wing, claimed responsibility.There were reports of a dire medical situation, the result of the large number of casualties and the inability of the hospitals, some of which are closed, to admit them. Hezbollah continued to attack IDF positions and towns on the border. In the IDF attack in south Lebanon on January 8, 2024, a commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force was killed. Due to the tense situation, the Lebanese minister of education announced the suspension of studies in schools in south Lebanon.There was a vehicle ramming attack at the Ras Biddu checkpoint near Jerusalem. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for launching a long-range missile at Haifa a few days ago. Read more...

IDF forces continued the integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip and the Daraj-Tufah neighborhoods east of Gaza City. The Palestinian reported attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, which focused on the area of the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. On the morning of January 4, 2024, rockets were fired at the cities, towns and villages surrounding the Gaza Strip, including Ashqelon. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an unusually large number of attacks (15). Nine Hezbollah operatives were killed in Israeli strikes in south Lebanon. Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, said in a speech that "Hezbollah's quick action and intervention in the conflict as early as October 8 were what prevented Israel from attacking them." Israeli security forces operated in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm for the second consecutive day. Read more...

The IDF forces continued their integrated ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the Khan Yunis area in the south. Collaborating with the armored and engineering forces and the Israeli Air Force, the fighters eliminated terrorists in face-to-face clashes. They also located and destroyed terrorist facilities, finding large quantities of weapons (IDF spokesperson, December 31, 2023). At midnight, as 2023 became 2024, a barrage of more than 20 rockets attacked central Israel and the area between Ashdod and Jerusalem. Hamas' military-terrorist wing claimed responsibility for the attack. Egypt summoned delegations of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other terrorist organizations to a meeting in Cairo to discuss the ceasefire and "the day after." According to a single report, a Hamas delegation left for Cairo.Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel. A Palestinian terrorist carried out a stabbing attack in the industrial zone of Ma'ale Adumim, wounding two security guards. The Palestinians in Judea and Samaria marked the anniversary of the founding of Fatah; Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for attacking the Golan Heights and Eilat. The IDF spokesperson reported that missiles had been intercepted. The Houthis in Yemen reported ten operatives dead in an American attack and claimed the United States was responsible for their deaths and the consequences. Read more...