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BICOM has released multiple briefings since Hamas’s surprise attack began on Saturday morning. To track developments as they emerged, see our updates 1, 2, and 3.
1. IDF regains control of border towns
What happened: Two days after the initial breach, the IDF has announced that it has regained control of all towns on the Gazan border, but that terrorist cells may remain inside southern Israel.
- This morning, residents of Sderot, Kibbutz Nirim and Kibbutz Alumim were being instructed to remain locked in their homes.
- In Sha’ar Hanegev four armed terrorists were killed in a gunfight with Israeli troops.
- Due to remaining breaches in the border fence, Hamas terrorists are still able to enter into Israel, with the group claiming a cell kidnapped more Israeli civilians yesterday.
- Overall the Israel death toll stands at at least 700, of which around 260 mostly young people were massacred at a music festival. There are around 2,300 people injured.
- There is still continued rocket fire – over 3,300 rockets have so far been fired from the Gaza Strip towards southern Israel.
- According to the terrorist factions, they are holding 130 Israelis as hostages inside the Gaza Strip.
- Yesterday the government appointed Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch to be the coordinator for the return of the captives and the missing. He has been given a list of more than 350 names of missing people.
- The Israel Air Force have continued to bomb military targets, conducting over 500 strikes overnight inside the Gaza Strip. According to reports from Gaza, 460 Palestinians have been killed so far in IDF strikes. With another 400 terrorists killed inside Israeli territory.
- The Israeli Navy Commandos yesterday captured a senior member of Hamas’s naval unit in Gaza, Muhammad Abu Ghali.
- IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi made his first statement last night. “We can expect long and complex days of fighting,” he said. “We will maintain our state of readiness in all of the theatres and everyone, in their theatre, will do their best. We will continue to attack in all of Gaza, broadly, particularly in those places from where the attacks on our territory originate. The IDF is strong and will operate with strength and will win.”
Context: The attack began early Saturday morning, timed to coincide with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah in Israel. The well planned sophisticated attack included air, land and sea invasions.
- The attack began with drone strikes against Israeli monitoring equipment on the border fence; both cameras and communication antennae.
- It also included armed terrorists on motorised paragliders. These can be seen on video footage arriving to attack the music festival.
- Heavy explosives were detonated against the security barrier creating around 80 breaches in the concrete fence. According to the IDF assessment, around 800 to 1,000 terrorists infiltrated into Israel through those breaches. They attacked 20 communities and 11 IDF bases.
- In addition, several boats with dozens of armed terrorists attempted to infiltrate into Israel via the sea, but were thwarted by the Israeli navy.
- Military officials believe that Hamas planned the operation for more than a year and had kept it secret even from Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which joined after it began. Until this weekend the most recent rounds of fighting were between Israel and PIJ, with Hamas remaining on the sidelines.
- According to the Wall Street Journal senior officers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August in order to plan out the invasion into Israeli territory.
- It is thought, given the quality of the powerful explosive material used to detonate the fence, that this was smuggled in under the guidance from Iran. In addition, the swarm tactics, preparations and execution suggest Iranian influence.
- Yesterday, the Iranian President spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, based in Qatar.
For further context on the attacks and their possible repercussions, see our update from yesterday afternoon.
Looking ahead: There remain concerns that Hezbollah in Lebanon could open a second front against Israel, with reports of Hezbollah fighters spread out across the border with Israel.
- As part of support from the US, the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier and its accompanying battleships are on their way to into Israeli waters in the Mediterranean.
- Talks are expected to take place later today to bring in Benny Gantz and his party into an emergency unity government.
On Sunday 8th October, BICOM Director Richard Pater spoke with Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Lammy’s LBC radio show. Listen here.