Israel Continues Operations in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria Amid Ongoing War
As of September 21, 2026, marking the 1081st day of the "War of Revival" (also known as the "Iron Swords" war), Israel's military, the IDF, continues operations across multiple fronts. These include ongoing actions in Palestinian towns in Judea and Samaria, maintaining control over a buffer zone in southern Lebanon and southwestern Syria with periodic strikes, and enforcing a buffer zone in Gaza, where a ceasefire is formally in effect. The IDF stated it attacks terrorists who violate the ceasefire and conducts targeted assassinations.
Early on September 21, 2026, Palestinian Authority sources reported IDF activity and arrests in Kabatiya, south of Jenin, and IDF operations in Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya. Earlier, IDF forces were reported operating in the village of Avrif, south of Nablus.
The "Iron Swords" war began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led attack from Gaza, involving rocket barrages and the infiltration of thousands of militants who killed over a thousand civilians and security personnel, taking hundreds hostage. Hezbollah joined the conflict shortly after with rocket fire from the north. Initially, 251 individuals were taken hostage, with the last surviving hostages, 168 people, reportedly freed by October 2025, and the remains of the final captive returned in January 2026. Over 80 hostages died in captivity.
The initial attack targeted a music festival near the Gaza border, resulting in hundreds of deaths and abductions, and included massacres in kibbutzim like Be'eri, Kfar Azza, and Nir Oz, as well as attacks in towns in the Western Negev. Hamas declared the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation, prompting Israel to declare war for the first time since 1973. The conflict has resulted in over 2,000 Israeli deaths and tens of thousands wounded, with casualties from numerous nationalities. The IDF has reported approximately 970 soldiers killed since the war's start, with an estimated 20,000 militants eliminated in Gaza and 10,000 in Lebanon. Key militant leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, and Yahya Sinwar, were reportedly eliminated in 2024. The conflict has seen over 13,000 rockets fired from Gaza and 15,000 from Lebanon, alongside drone attacks from various fronts. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis were displaced, and approximately 7,000 terror suspects were detained in Judea and Samaria. Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry reported over 73,000 deaths and 174,000 wounded, though a report by the Henry Jackson Society and Fifty Global questioned these figures, suggesting Hamas inflated casualty numbers. The UN reported around 1.7 million displaced Gazans.
Significant escalations occurred throughout the war, including a major Hezbollah pager and radio attack on September 17-18, 2024, leading to intensified IDF strikes in Lebanon, the elimination of Hezbollah commanders, and the launch of "Arrows of the North" operation. Iran launched massive missile and drone attacks on Israel in April and October 2024, with retaliatory Israeli strikes reported. The fall of Bashar Assad's regime in Syria in December 2024 led to IDF operations to establish a buffer zone. Houthi missile launches from Yemen became regular, prompting Israeli and US responses. A ceasefire and hostage exchange deal was reportedly reached in January 2025, but active combat resumed in Gaza by March 2025. Further operations, including "Chariots of Gideon" and "People as a Lion," targeted Gaza and Iran, with significant casualties reported. A ceasefire was announced in June 2025, followed by renewed negotiations and an Israeli plan to control Gaza City. A subsequent ceasefire and prisoner exchange was announced in October 2025, leading to the release of the last hostages. In February 2026, a joint Israeli-US operation, "Roaring Lion" / "Epic Fury," targeted Iran's leadership. Ceasefires in Iran and Lebanon were established and later extended, though a US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June 2026 did not fully end hostilities, with the potential for renewed conflict remaining high.