Iron Swords Operation (Updated to 1 p.m., October 24, 2023)

Overview^[1]

• The southern sector: The Israeli Air Force continued attacking Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets, with tank fire and artillery backup. During the past day about 400 air strikes were carried out. The Palestinian terrorist organizations continued firing rockets at Israel, but fewer than initially. IDF forces intercepted a UAV launched from the Gaza Strip; Hamas military-terrorist wing operatives claimed responsibility for launching it.
• So far, more than 1,400 civilian and soldier deaths have been reported; 220 civilian and soldier abductees are still being held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. On the evening of October 23, 2023, two elderly abductees were returned to Israel.
• The Gaza Strip: According to reports, there is a difficult humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Aid convoys continue to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing.
• The northern sector: Hezbollah terrorist squads continue attacking. The daylight hours were relatively quiet, but in the evening anti-tank missiles and rockets were fired at Israeli territory. A house in Kiryat Shemonah was hit and two people were injured. A UAV carrying an explosive charge was launched from the sea at the Haifa Bay area and intercepted. Hezbollah reported the deaths of four of its terrorist operatives.
• Judea and Samaria: IDF counterterrorism activities continued. Palestinians suspected of terrorist activities were detained, most of them Hamas operatives. A senior Hamas terrorist operative died while in administrative detention. Hamas blamed Israel for his death.
• Iran: A meeting was held of the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, Turkey and the Caucasian countries to discuss the developments in the Gaza Strip. The president of Iran said the “crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza” and the support of the United States and its Western allies for Israel should serve as a lesson to all countries in the region. Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq continued to attack US military bases in Iraq.

The Combat Arena

IDF activity

• Aerial activity: The IDF intensified its air strikes on Hamas and PIJ targets, attacking more than 400 military-terrorist targets during the past day. Fighter jets attacked Hamas facilities and assembly points in the neighborhoods of Shejaiya, al-Shati, Jabalia, Daraj Tufah and Zeitoun, some of which were located in mosques. They also attacked military headquarters, dozens of armed terrorists and a tunnel shaft which provided terrorist operatives with quick access to the coast. Among the dead were the head of the anti-tank unit of Hamas’ northern division and several other senior terrorist operatives (IDF spokesman, October 24, 2023).

   

   
Israeli Air Force strikes in the Gaza Strip (IDF website, October 24, 2023)

   
Israeli Air Force strikes in Rafah (QudsN Twitter account, October 23, 2023)

Interception of UAVs

• During the afternoon two UAVs launched from the Gaza Strip were detected in the skies over Israeli territory; both were destroyed by the IDF. No casualties or damage were reported (IDF spokesman, October 23, 2023).
• Hamas’ military-terrorist wing claimed responsibility for “launching two Zawari explosive drones, one of which targeted the 107^th Squadron at the Hatzerim Air Force base, and the other the headquarters of the Sinai Division at the Tze’elim base” (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades Telegram channel, October 23, 2023).
• Ground activity: During the air strikes, IDF tanks and artillery attacked Hamas anti-tank launchers and observation posts (IDF spokesman, October 24, 2023).

Rocket launches

• During the past day, the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continued firing rockets Israel, although fewer than before. They fired 93 rockets and mortar shells at Israel, most of them targeting the cities, towns and villages near the border. So far, since the beginning of the war, 7,512 explosive projectiles have been launched from the Gaza Strip. Most of them were rockets, with about 15% mortar shells; 10% fell inside the Gaza Strip.

Launches and failed launches (as of October 22, 2023)

Daily distribution of rocket fire (as of October 22, 2023)

    
Right: A rocket hit on a house in Sderot. Left: Rockets falling on Beersheba (QudsN Twitter account, October 23, 2023)

Israeli casualties

• So far, over 1,400 civilian and soldier deaths have been reported; 220 civilians and soldier abductees are being held in the Gaza Strip by the terrorist organizations. About 30 of the abducted are children and adolescents younger than 18 and about 20 of them are elderly. Four abductees were returned to Israel.

The issue of releasing the abductees

• On the evening of October 23, 2023, two more abductees were released and brought to Israeli territory. Their release was announced by Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, who said that “two captives” had been released through the mediation of Egypt and Qatar. He claimed they decided to release them for “humanitarian reasons,” even though throughout the day Israel had [allegedly] violated agreements with the mediators more than eight times (Abu Obeida’s Telegram channel, October 23, 2023).
• Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas leader “abroad,” told the British Sky News network that the civilian abductees held by Hamas would be released with the help of intermediary countries such as Qatar and Egypt on the condition that Israel stopped its intense attacks in the Gaza Strip. He claimed they wanted the attacks, destruction and “genocide” to stop so the Hamas military wing could take [the civilian abductees] from where they were being hidden and transfer them to the Red Cross or some other agency. He refused to comment on whether Hamas would stop negotiations regarding the abductees if Israel carried out a ground maneuver. He falsely claimed “Hamas did not plan to kill civilians, and if it happened anyway, it had not been the goal.” He also denied the accusations that Hamas had adopted new and more brutal tactics. He said here had been no change in Hamas’ strategy and the events that took place on October 7, 2023 had been completely consistent with it. He claimed that “those who kill women, children, mothers and fathers are the Israelis.” Mashal insisted that the events which took place on October 7, 2023, had been planned by Hamas alone, despite the claims that Iran had been involved in their planning and had trained the operatives. He claimed Hezbollah, Iran and Turkey were required to stand shoulder to shoulder, but everyone made their own decision (Sky News, October 24, 2023).
• Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy PIJ secretary general, was interviewed by al-Jazeera Mubasher TV in Istanbul. He said the PIJ held more than 30 abductees, most of them military personnel and a small number of civilians. He boasted that the PIJ’s military wing had raided the IDF Nahal Oz post and “captured” officers and soldiers. If there were civilian abductees, he claimed, “it’s one or two,” he didn’t know exactly [sic]. As far as the PIJ was concerned, they were prisoners of an ongoing war, and only after it ended would they open a prisoner exchange file. He also claimed Hamas’ military wing had explicitly stated it had “no problem with the foreign abductees and civilians,” and that all the organizations held the same position, but the conditions on the ground did not allow for their release. As to whether the captives would be dealt with jointly by all the organizations or separately by each, he answered that all Palestinians wanted the release of all the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails (al-Jazeera Mubasher YouTube channel, October 23, 2023).

The Gaza Strip

Palestinian fatalities

• According to the Hamas-controlled ministry of health in Gaza, as of 3 p.m. the number of dead in the Gaza Strip stood at 5,791 and the number of wounded at16,297 (ministry of health in Gaza Telegram channel , October 24, 2023).^[2]

The situation in the Gaza Strip

• Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Hamas-controlled ministry of health in Gaza, claimed the public health system in the Gaza Strip was at the lowest point in its history. He condemned the international silence which, he alleged, gave Israel an “appetite” to continue attacking the Gaza Strip (ministry of health in Gaza Facebook page, October 24, 2023).
• The Hamas administration media information office in Gaza reported that since the beginning of the war 1.4 million residents had been evacuated from their homes, i.e., 70% of the residents of the Gaza Strip. More than 181,000 housing units were partially damaged, and more than 20,000 were uninhabitable (Hamas administration media information office Facebook page, October 23, 2023).

   
Gazans stock up on food (Wafa, October 24, 2023)

• According to a UN report on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, 62 medical centers were attacked^[3] and ten hospitals remained active. The number of people displaced from their homes was 1.4 million, and each person had access to a supply of about three liters of water per day. According to UNRWA, there were about 600,000 Gazans in the agency’s shelters (UN website, October 23, 2023).
• Arab media correspondents broadcasting from the Gaza Strip reported that Israeli Air Force planes had dropped leaflets appealing to the Gazans to cooperate with Israel “for a better future,” and for financial rewards in exchange for information about the abductees (al-Ghad TV and al-Qahara News TV, October 24, 2023).

     
Right: Leaflets dropping from the skies over Gaza (al-Ghad TV, October 24, 2023). Left: The IDF announcement (al-Qahara News TV, October 24, 2023)

The Rafah Crossing

• According to reports, on October 23, 2023, 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip entered the Rafah Crossing. So far 55 aid trucks have entered. An Egyptian correspondent reported that as of 11 a.m. preparations were being made for the arrival of a fourth convoy (al-Qahara News TV, October 24, 2023).

• Muneir al-Barash, director general of the Hamas-controlled ministry of health in Gaza, claimed that despite the delivery of humanitarian aid, so far, they had not received medical aid. He claimed the aid was intended to “throw sand in their eyes” and prepare Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip (alresala.net, October 24, 2023).
• Hamas claimed the arrival of “very limited amounts of aid” to the Gaza Strip during the past few days did not cover the growing needs of those “who have been under barbaric aggression for 17 consecutive days.” Hamas claimed the “ongoing siege” had damaged humanitarian conditions and caused a severe shortage of food and medicine, and that fuel in the hospitals had run out. Hamas called on Arab-Muslim countries and the UN to increase efforts and urgently open humanitarian corridors to bring in fuel, food and medical equipment to avoid a humanitarian disaster (Hamas Telegram channel, October 23, 2023).

   
Medical aid from the World Heath Organization (WHO) arrives at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis (Wafa YouTube channel, October 23, 2023)

Hamas

• Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, sharply criticized the Western countries for their support of “Israel’s war of annihilation,” claiming “they erected a wall between themselves and the Arab-Muslim nations which would never fall.” Appealing to the leaders of the Arab and Islamic countries, he said, “How much blood and slaughter do you need to take a stand which will go down in history in the face of the bloodshed in Gaza?!” (Quds Press, October 24, 2023).

The Northern Arena

Lebanon

The situation on the ground

• After a relatively quiet day, anti-tank missile attacks resumed in the evening. A UAV carrying an explosive charge was launched from the sea at the Haifa Bay area; it was intercepted by IDF forces (IDF spokesman, October 23, 2023). A house in Kiryat Shemonah was hit by shrapnel from an anti-tank missile; two people were injured.
• In response, the IDF attacked Hezbollah terrorist facilities, including a military-terrorist compound and an observation post. The Israeli Air Force attacked several terrorist squads in the Har Dov area as they were launching rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israel (IDF spokesman, October 23, 2023).

    
Right: Attack on a terrorist facility in Lebanon. Left: Attack on a terrorist squad on Har Dov (IDF website, October 24, 2023)

• According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah had “forced” more than 19,000 Lebanese to leave their homes in south Lebanon. In IOM assessment, if the tensions continue or escalate the number will rise (Agence France-Presse, October 24, 2023 ).

Hezbollah fatalities

• Hezbollah reported four of its operatives had been killed while “fulfilling their jihad duty.” The date and location of the event were not noted (Hezbollah’s combat information unit Telegram channel, October 23-24, 2023). They were:
  • Mustafa Hussein Zaitar, aka Abu al-Hada, from the village of Jalala in the Lebanon Valley.
  • Ali Adnan Artil, from the village of Maifadoun in south Lebanon.
  • Ibrahim Muhammad Qashmar, aka Haidar, from the village of Deir Kifa in south Lebanon.
  • Mustafa Hussein Nizha, aka Murtada al-Hassayni from the village of Nabi Othman in the Lebanon Valley.

Hezbollah

• Gebran Bassil, the chairman of the Hezbollah-affiliated Free National Movement Party in Lebanon, spoke on the phone with Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah. They agreed to hold ongoing consultations (Hezbollah media information, October 23, 2023). The Hezbollah-affiliated al-Akhbar reported the conversation, stating that “according to knowledgeable sources” Bassil had the impression that Nasrallah’s approach to developments in the region was “calm” (al-Akhbar, October 24, 2023).

The Lebanese government

• Najib Mikati, the prime minister of the Lebanese interim government, paid a surprise visit to the headquarters of the Lebanese army’s southern Litani Sector in Tyre. He was greeted by Joseph Aoun, Lebanese army chief of staff. Mikati toured south Lebanon and went to UNIFIL headquarters in al-Naqoura, where he had a meeting with Aoun and UNIFIL commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro (Lebanese News Agency, 24 in October 2023).
• A French presidential source said they sent messages to Lebanon for Hezbollah, informing it not to take risks or intervene in the conflict between Israel and Gaza. Intervention, said the source, would cause trouble for Lebanon. He added that the French president might visit Lebanon, but had no plans to do so in the near future (al-Arabiya, October 24, 2023).

Judea, Samaria, and the Palestinian Authority

Events on the ground

• The Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria, detaining 32 Palestinians wanted for involvement in terrorist activities, 18 of them Hamas operatives (Israeli media, October 24, 2023); no Palestinian fatalities were reported in Judea and Samaria. The number of fatalities since the beginning of the war stands at 95 (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, October 23, 2023).

• The al-Quds website conducted an online public opinion poll of 509 participants who were asked if the recent events in Judea and Samaria would cause a new intifada; 80% answered affirmatively, 20% replied negatively (al-Quds, October 24, 2023).

• A march was held in Ramallah condemning “the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank” (al-Quds, October 23, 2023).

Palestinian Authority (PA)

• Mahmoud Abbas met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to discuss the latest developments in the Palestinian arena, efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip, and the importance of bringing humanitarian and medical aid into the Gaza Strip and restoring the supply of water and electricity from Israel (Wafa, October 23, 2023).

• Riyadh al-Maliki, PA foreign minister, spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart, who said China stood with the Palestinian people, supported the Palestinian cause and was ready to assist in efforts to reach a ceasefire, bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and prevent the uprooting of Gazans. He also condemned the attacks on hospitals and schools that harmed civilians and violated international law (PA foreign ministry Telegram channel, October 24, 2023).

Palestinian organizations

• Hamas announced the death of Hamza Daraghmeh, aka Abu al-Nimr, 58 years old, a senior Hamas terrorist operative in Judea and Samaria who was detained following Operation al-Aqsa Storm and held in administrative detention at Megiddo Prison. According to Hamas he died “as a result of torture.” The PIJ claimed Israel was fully responsible for his death. Daraghmeh and his son Hamza were detained on October 9, 2023 and put in administrative detention for six months. Following the announcement of his death, hundreds of Tubas residents condemned his death and held marches to express their rage (Palinfo, October 23, 2023; Palestine Online, October 23, 2023).

    
Right: Hamas death notice (Shehab Telegram channel, October 23, 2023). Left: A procession in Tubas following the announcement of Daraghmeh’s death (Sultan al-Harbi’s Twitter account, October 24, 2023)

Iran

• On October 23, 2023, the Iranian president and foreign minister spoke at a meeting held in Tehran and attended by the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, Turkey and the Caucasian countries:
  • Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that the “crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza” and the support of the United States and its Western allies for Israel should serve as a lesson for all countries in the region, which should know that the Western countries would never be their true friends. He said the events in the Gaza Strip proved relations with Israel were a mistake and he was convinced that what was happening in Palestine would end in favor of the Palestinians (ISNA, October 23, 2023).
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian said the participants of the meeting had discussed developments in the Palestinian arena and how to stop Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. He said Iran firmly supported the Palestinian resistance and claimed Iran was not interested in expanding the war in the region. However, he said, the region was a powder keg, and an uncontrollable event might occur at any moment. He added that the war was being managed by the United States, and that Israel wanted to establish a new Palestinian state in parts of Egypt and Jordan. He warned Israel and the United States to stop killing women, children and civilians before it was too late. Referring to the messages conveyed by the United States to Iran regarding the need to prevent the war from expanding, he claimed Iran did not give instructions to the “resistance groups” in the region or prevent them from making decisions that served their interests (Fars, October 23, 2023).
• On October 23, 2023, the Majles National Security and Foreign Policy Committee met with ambassadors of Muslim countries and heads of international organizations operating in Iran. The meeting was chaired by Majles Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who said the Muslim world had to meet its responsibility, condemn the “crimes of the Zionist regime” and declare the end of the normalization process with Israel (ISNA, October 23, 2023).
• On October 24, 2023, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, tweeted that for the first time, Israel and those who support it found themselves facing heavy pressure from severaldirections, namely Gaza and “the others.” He added, “You have been warned that there are ‘new others’ who can join.”

Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen

• CNN reported that American intelligence had information indicating that Iranian militias intended to escalate attacks against American forces throughout the Middle East if fighting between Israel and Hamas continued. Citing official sources, the network reported that at this stage, Iran appeared to be directly instructing the militias and promising them benefits if they continued to attack American and Israeli targets (CNN, October 24, 2023).
• The Central Command of the American Army announced that American forces had destroyed two drones carrying explosives flying near American and International Coalition forces in southwestern Syria. No casualties or damage were reported (CENTCOM Twitter account, October 24, 2023).
• Saberin News, a Telegram channel affiliated with the pro-Iranian militias, announced attacks on three American bases in Syria: al-Omar oil field, al-Tanf Base, and al-Shadadi. A short time later, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (a codename for the pro-Iranian Iraqi militias) claimed responsibility for launching UAVs at two American bases, the al-Omar oil field and al-Shadadi. According to the announcement, direct hits had been identified (Saberin News Telegram channel, October 24, 2023). The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for another attack on the American base of al-Malikiya in Syria (Saberin News, October 24, 2023).
• Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ al-Sudani spoke by phone with the United States Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. They noted the importance of coordinating humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip to ensure regional stability and to prevent the conflict from expanding. They also stressed Iraq’s commitment to protect the military advisers and American diplomatic missions operating in the country (Iraqi News Agency, October 24, 2023).
• The pro-Iranian al-Nujaba militia in Iraq sharply criticized the announcement of the Iraqi Armed Forces spokesman, who objected to the attacks against Iraqi bases where American forces were located, claiming there were also “Zionists” among these forces (al-Nujaba Network, October 24, 2023).
• An organization calling itself the “Liberation Movement of the Two Holy Places, Mecca and Medina,” claimed responsibility for two drone attacks on two American headquarters in Saudi Arabia. According to the claim “this is a small warning about what is to come, as long as the Zionist offensive on the Gaza Strip, which is being waged with the blessing of the American administration, continues” (yemeneco.org, October 23, 2023). Neither Saudi Arabian nor American officials commented. A network with the same name appeared in Yemen in the past, and is apparently affiliated with the pro-Iranian Houthi movement.

The Arab Arena

Egypt

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with a bipartisan delegation of the United States Senate; Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and General Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel were also present. The American delegation called Egypt a pillar of security and stability in the Middle East and the Arab world. The participants agreed on the need to keep the fighting from spreading, protect civilians, and deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. El-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s opposition to the policy of “collective punishment and forced eviction of Palestinians” (Facebook page of the Egyptian presidential spokesman, October 24, 2023).
• “Informed sources” reported that the Egyptian army had mobilized forces in Rafah and deployed them in the city along the Gaza Strip border. They said the army was building a new fence on the border to prevent Gazans from entering Egyptian territory (al-Araby al-Jadeed, October 23, 2023).

Jordan

• King Abdullah II of Jordan spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about stopping the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip. The king stressed the need to protect civilians and hospitals and ensure humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza (Twitter account of the Jordanian royal family, October 23, 2023).

Qatar

• The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad, described the situation in the Gaza Strip as “very serious, and negating all the values, customs and laws of the world.” He said Israel must not be given unlimited permission to kill, adding it was forbidden to use cutting off water and preventing the arrival of medicine and food as weapons against an entire people. He called for regional and international mobilization against the escalation, ending the war and preventing bloodshed (al-Jazeera, October 24, 2023).

The International Arena

European Union

• The EU is reportedly working to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza (Reuters, October 23, 2023).

France

• French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Israel for a visit and met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; he also met with the families of the abductees. He said he had come to show his support, and what had happened on October 7 was terrible. He said it was everyone’s duty to fight acts of terrorism without concessions, but also without expanding the conflict. The terrorist organization, he said, had to be targeted in a way that would impair its ability to operate. Macron added that they did not want Hezbollah to join the conflict and had conveyed several messages on the subject to other terrorist organizations that wanted to join in (Kan 11, Ynet, October 24, 2023).
• Since the outbreak of the war, Macron has expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself and called for the release of all the abductees taken by Hamas. On October 20, 2023, French Defense Minister Sébastien Le Cornou said, “Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for cruel acts and must be destroyed” (www.leparisien.fr, October 21, 2023).

Turkey

• An article published on the al-Monitor news website about Turkey’s position on the war claimed it was acting cautiously: on the one hand, it supported the Palestinian cause while “calming the situation” with Hamas, while on the other hand it wanted to avoid a new rift in relations with Israel. Although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has hardened his stance on Israel, he is cautious with his words and does not support Hamas as it would like him to. According to a Palestinian source in Turkey, the Palestinian organizations, including Hamas, are dissatisfied with Turkey’s position on the war. Its statements are perceived as insufficient, and they note that the Turks “did not even summon the Israeli ambassador to the foreign ministry to protest Israel’s actions” (al-Monitor, October 23, 2023).

^[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications. ↑
^[2] So far, neither the ministry of health in Gaza nor the ministry of health in Ramallah has issued a list of the names of the fatalities. ↑
^[3] The report included Palestinians harmed by the PIJ’s failed rocket launcher on October 17, 2023. ↑

Related Articles