Ten days after Hersh, Eden, Ori, Almog, Alex and Carmel were found brutally murdered by Hamas in a tunnel below Rafah, the IDF released a new video walking through the dark and bloodied passageway where the hostages were held and executed.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari begins the three-minute video at the entrance to the tunnel, which was built beneath a child's bedroom in Rafah. Cartoons of Mickey Mouse and Snow White are painted on the adjacent walls, next to the tunnel shaft which was hidden below the room's floorboards.
Hagari then brings the camera down into the tunnel, built more than 65 feet below ground, where women's clothing, dried food, dirty mattresses, copies of the Quran, and assault rifle magazines were discovered by the IDF.
"Standing up straight is impossible, and the humidity is extreme."
Kneeling inside the tunnel, Hagari points to a puddle of blood. "This is the blood of Hersh, Eden, Carmel, Ori, Almog and Alex. They were heroes."
"But they were here in this tunnel in horrific conditions, where there is no air to breathe. Where you cannot stand. And they survived, but they were murdered by terrorists."
Israel is confronting pure evil. America must stand with Israel as it fights to destroy these barbaric terrorists and free the 101 hostages who are still held captive in Gaza.
Today in Tel Aviv, the families of the six hostages met together for the first time since their loved ones were murdered: "United in love for the Beautiful 6 who were killed together. United to bring home all the hostages."
IDF eliminates three Hamas commanders operating in humanitarian zone
The IDF eliminated senior Hamas commanders who were deliberately operating among civilians within the designated humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis.
All three of the targeted terrorists were directly involved in the October 7 massacre and numerous other attacks in recent months.
"Despite the extensive measures taken by the IDF to enable the Gazan population to move away from combat zones, including by designating a Humanitarian Area, the Hamas terrorist organization continues to embed its operatives and military infrastructure in the Humanitarian Area and systematically use Gazan civilians as a human shield for its terrorist activities," the IDF said.
Hamas rushed to claim that 40 people had been killed in the strike. Numerous news outlets ran with the Hamas figure. But soon after the IDF accused Hamas of lying, Hamas issued a "clarification" admitting it had inflated the original number, changing it to 19.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared that “Hamas as a military formation no longer exists."
"Hamas is engaged in guerrilla warfare and we are still fighting Hamas terrorists and pursuing Hamas leadership,” he added.
Gallant: "The center of gravity is moving north."
Hezbollah terrorists continued to bombard Israeli communities today, launching 45 more rockets at northern Israel. The IDF struck the launchers used to attack Israel, demonstrating once again the critical need for Israel's offensive military capabilities.
More than 8,500 rockets have been fired at Israel by Hezbollah since October 8.
The IDF is preparing for a ground offensive in Lebanon to eliminate the threat from Hezbollah and push the terror group away from the border. Speaking to troops during a simulation in the north, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, "The center of gravity is moving to the north...We are finishing training the entire order of battle for a ground operation, in all its aspects."
"We are nearing the completion of our missions in the south, but we have a task here that has not been carried out, and this mission is to change the security situation and return the residents to their homes," Gallant said.
America must stand with Israel and ensure our ally has the offensive and defensive capabilities it needs to deter, defend against, and confront Iran and its terror proxies.
Iran sending ballistic missiles to Russia to kill Ukrainians
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed today that Iran is sending ballistic missiles to Russia to use against Ukraine.
“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians,” Blinken said, calling it a "dramatic escalation."
White House spokesperson John Kirby said that dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained to use the Iranian ballistic missile system. "The supply of these Iranian missiles, which have a maximum range of about 75 miles, could allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets beyond the front line, while employing Iranian warheads for closer range targets," Kirby said.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on individuals and entities in Iran and Russia involved in transferring ballistic missiles to Moscow. France, Germany, and the UK also announced sanctions against Iran Air.
Bankrolled by surging oil sales to China, the Iranian regime is providing vital support to Putin, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. America must fully enforce economic sanctions on Iran and cut off the regime's cash flow.
Resolutions to block weapons to Israel expected in the Senate
Last month, the Biden administration approved five major arms sales to Israel. With Congress back in session this week, some senators may introduce resolutions to block the delivery of some weapons to Israel.
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