IDF Reports on Operations in Gaza, West Bank, and Southern Lebanon

The Israeli military stated that its forces conducted operational activities across various fronts over the past week to thwart threats, strike infrastructure, and prevent organizations from rebuilding their capabilities. In the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet targeted Mohammed Abu Ismail, identified as the commander of the Khan Yunis brigade, along with other operatives who were allegedly hiding inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The military claimed Hamas uses Nasser Hospital for its purposes, with the second floor reportedly serving as a military headquarters for Hamas command, inaccessible to civilians and heavily guarded due to its use by the group's leaders, including Abu Ismail. The IDF also alleged that dozens of hostages, many from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, including women, children, the elderly, and foreign nationals, were held at Nasser Hospital during the war. The military stated that the targets were attacked from the air after they turned the hospital complex into a command center and planned numerous attacks against Israeli forces from there, aiming to rebuild the brigade's military strength. Precautions were reportedly taken to minimize damage to the hospital building and harm to uninvolved individuals, with the strike focused on the room used by the commander and operatives for their military activities. The IDF also addressed claims of halting humanitarian aid to Gaza, asserting that over 93,000 tents and 8,600 trucks of winter equipment, food, medical supplies, and other essentials have been delivered in recent months.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested over 55 wanted individuals, including members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, those who planned attacks, inciters, and a suspect in hurling firebombs. During these operations, weapons including pistols, airsoft guns, and other combat equipment were seized. In southern Lebanon, IDF forces discovered combat equipment and supplies stored at two locations, one within a residential home approximately 200 meters from a UN site, and another in a warehouse about 100 meters from the UN site. The seized items included Kalashnikov rifles, RPGs, PK machine guns, fragmentation grenades, explosive devices, ammunition, surveillance and communication equipment, as well as humanitarian aid boxes and symbols of the Amal movement and Hezbollah.