Sirens blared in Tel Aviv and across central Israel today, as 30 long-range rockets were fired from Gaza indiscriminately at Israeli civilians. Below my signature is a photo of school children covering their heads as the rockets streaked through the sky above them.
Today, the IDF destroyed a major tunnel network under Gaza City’s Palestine Square. The robust network connected the homes and offices of Hamas’ senior leadership, including Yahya Sinwar and Muhammed Deif. The explosion (watch here) of the terrorist hideout demonstrates the scale of the subterranean network Hamas built beneath the major civilian transit hub of the city – deliberately using human shields to protect their terror assets.
As President Biden said this week, "Hamas has no regard – none whatsoever – for whether civilians live or die."
The military is now operating in new areas in southern Gaza and has achieved full security control over former Hamas strongholds in the north. Watch this video of the IDF fighting in Shejaiya, where it seized full control today and arrested terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre.
The IDF is systematically destroying Hamas battalions as it roots out the Iranian-backed terror group from key cities and conducts operations in unprecedented urban warfare environments.
The IDF announced today that it has eliminated approximately 2,000 Hamas operatives since Hamas broke the hostage deal on December 1, and it has killed more than 9,000 terrorists since October 7. As Israel’s operation evolves, the daily civilian casualty ratio in Gaza is dropping. Meanwhile, media networks continue to rely on casualty figures provided by Hamas’ Gaza Health Ministry, which never distinguishes between terrorists and civilians.
In a scathing rebuke, Israeli President Isaac Herzog slammed the "utter failure of the UN" to facilitate aid to Gaza. Herzog said that Israel has the capacity to inspect more truckloads to bring tens of thousands of tons to Gaza daily "if the UN – instead of complaining all day – would do its job."
Watch and share: In a powerful message, Iris Haim – the mother of Yotam Haim who was a hostage accidentally killed by the IDF – reassured the soldiers of her affection and admiration for them and their mission. "I know that everything that happened is absolutely not your fault, and nobody’s fault except that of Hamas," she said.
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