Today’s photo is of a female IDF brigade in training. Women served in combat roles in the 1948 War of Independence but since then took non-combat roles in the IDF during their service. This began to change dramatically about 15 years ago. There is now a full female combat company that fought in combat roles in Gaza in the past six months. And there is a co-ed brigade, currently commanded by a female, overseeing the long Egyptian border with Israel called Caracal. This year, for the first time, two women were accepted into the Air Force’s 669 elite search and rescue unit. The IDF is seeing a major uptick in women insisting on serving in combat roles.
No rockets fired from Gaza landed in Israel in the past 24 hours. No casualties were reported by the IDF resulting from operations in Gaza in the past seven days. But four IDF soldiers were seriously injured in an artillery attack from Hezbollah in Lebanon, early this morning.
The IDF infantry Nahal brigade continued its operations in and around central Gaza today. Dozens of terrorists were killed during the course of attempting to perpetrate attacks against the troops. Weapons storage facilities, rocket launchers and several buildings were destroyed during the course of the operation. Additionally, attempts were made by Palestinian terrorists to attack troops manning the East-West corridor built by the IDF in Central Gaza. They killed the attackers. Reports at CNN suggest that the IDF was going to start its Rafah Operation today, by focusing on the evacuation of civilians. But, it appears that the operation has been postponed one more time in light of Saturday night’s Iranian missile attack. Similar claims have been made in the Hebrew Press. The operation was set to start with the dropping of leaflets by air over Rafah. Reports in the Hebrew press suggest that the operation will likely start in a week. In the. meantime, large numbers of residents of Gaza City have started returning to what remains of their homes. The IDF has cautioned them that the area is still an active battle area, but they are moving nonetheless.
This morning Hezbollah claims it triggered a hidden explosive on Lebanese territory that seriously injured four IDF infantry soldiers on a routine patrol. One of the soldiers is in serious condition being treated at a hospital in northern Israel. I mentioned in previous posts that there are regular IDF patrols near or over the Lebanese border that are essential for the intelligence gathering activities of the IDF. This evening IAF fighter jets struck buildings in southern Lebanon used by Hezbollah during the course of its operations against Israel. The IDF also deployed artillery against forces in a town called Jabal Blat.
And US Centcom announced this afternoon that its forces neutralized four UAVs launched by the Houthis, targeting commercial ships in and around the Red Sea. And this morning the IDF shot down a drone headed for southern Israel, apparently launched by Iranian proxies in Iraq.
The Biden Administration’s spokesman John Kirby announced that the USA has seen a major jump in aid arriving in Gaza. He said that 100 trucks arrived in the last 24 hours. But, here are the real numbers posted by COGAT, the Israeli Government’s administrative authority over Judea/Samaria (West Bank) and Gaza. Just yesterday, more than 316 trucks arrived in Gaza. Many of these trucks came through the newly opened northern Gaza border. Many photos hit the local showing bakeries in northern Gaza distributing freshly baked pita and bread to residents.
ADDENDUM ISRAELI SHEPHARD: You will recall that I described, on Saturday night, the aftermath of the discovery of the 14 year old Israeli murdered on Friday morning and the subsequent “vigilante” riots that resulted in the death of one Arab villager. The IDF has arrested three Israelis who have been accused of the perpetrating the riots. I do not know if they were involved in the activity resulting in the death or not.
ADDENDUM IRAN: More information has been gathered and released from Saturday nights Iran missile attack on Israel. As you may recall, there were about 350 missiles/drones launched by Iran and its proxies in Iraq and Yemen, targeting Israel. All 170 drones were destroyed before entering Israeli air space. About 10 were destroyed by the Jordanian Air Force over its territory and about 70 were destroyed by US forces in the area, including a destroyer deployed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The IAF destroyed about 25 cruise missiles and the US Air Force destroyed 5. And all but 5 of the 120 surface to surface ballistic missiles were neutralized. Almost half of the ballistic missiles either blew up in space, misfired or landed prematurely. You can see a photo here of one of the ballistic missiles that landed near the Dead Sea in Israel. It gives you a good idea of their size. You can see pictures of the damage done to parts of the air base, the main target of the attack, here. What is not shown in the pictures, however, is a damaged C-130 Hercules cargo plane and an unused warehouse. Photos of the damaged C-130 are classified and have not been released to the press. It was also revealed today that Saudi Arabia assisted in the intelligence tracking of the missiles. Some of the missiles flew over their air space. A member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family admitted today that Saudi Arabia assisted in the effort to thwart the Iranian attack drones.
One of the really unnoticed aspects to the Iranian missile attack is the response of Hezbollah. All they did no Saturday night was unleash a 40 rocket barrage against positions in the Golan Heights without injury or damage. The fact that they did not do more suggests that they are worried about the IDF’s actions against them. They are carefully measuring their attacks intending to keep the IDF engaged and prevent the 70,000 residents of northern Israel from returning to their homes.
There is much debate in the government’s Security Cabinet on how to respond to this clear act of war from Iran. And Netanyahu is consulting leaders of some of the opposition parties on the current thinking and soliciting comments. President Biden and many world leaders are urging Israel to show restraint. And to my surprise, it was released to the press that Minister Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkrot were both urging for Israel to attack Iran on Saturday night, even before the missiles arrived near Israel. Both of these ministers, serving in the War Cabinet from the opposition under an emergency unity government, are generally the more dovish amongst the members of the War Cabinet. And Defense Minister Gallant, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Prime Minister were the ones urging restraint. At this point I do not think that anyone really knows what will happen. There is some talk of attacking an unoccupied military facility. Personally, I do not see the point. Iran knows what Israel is capable of and I do not think that we need to show them proof. But my vote doesn't count. Leaks are suggesting that whatever operation has been decided on, is to be executed over the next 48 hours. Newspapers interviewing former IDF generals are all quoting the generals as insisting that the IDF must response somehow.
You might find these two articles of interest regarding the Iranian attack. The first is from the Wall Street Journal by General McKenzie, a retired Marine General who previously commanded Centcom. Let me know if you can’t read it behind its paywall. The other is written by Ambassador Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the USA during part of the Obama Administration.