IDF Maintains Full Operational Readiness Across All Fronts During Passover
Even during the week of Passover, the IDF continues its operational activity and maintains full readiness across all sectors, according to a statement on Friday (11th) from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
In the Southern Command, IDF troops continue ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
Troops from the Gaza Division are operating in the Tel Sultan and Shaboura neighborhoods in Rafah and on the outskirts of Khan Yunis. Troops from the 36th Division are active in the Rafah area and along the Morag route, while troops from the 252nd Division are operating in the Shejaiya area in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.
In recent days, the troops have been eliminating terrorists, locating and dismantling terrorism infrastructure both above and below ground and expanding the security perimeter, according to the IDF.
In the Northern Command, IDF troops continue their mission to defend the communities of the Galilee and remain deployed along the entire border, including at five positions in southern Lebanon.
In Syria, troops are engaged in forward defense missions – removing threats, confiscating weapons, and continuing to operate to ensure the safety of residents in the Golan Heights.
In the Central Command, IDF troops remain deployed and continue the defense effort, maintaining security along roadways, recreational areas and tourist sites. The forces continue to operate in terror hotspots in northern Samaria. As part of the ongoing operation, forces conducted raids this week in Tubas and Shechem (Nablus), and across villages in Judea and Samaria, troops are continuing overnight operations to counter terrorism.
The Israel Air Force (IAF) continues operating both defensively and offensively across all sectors , maintaining high readiness and wide deployment, the IDF statement said.
In the Gaza Strip the IAF has been eliminating terrorists, striking terrorist infrastructure, and providing support for ground troops. Over the past week, the IAF has struck more than 370 targets in the Strip. On the defensive front, the Air Defense Array remains deployed throughout the area and is on alert to protect Israel’s airspace.
The Israeli Navy continues to support maneuvering forces in the Gaza Strip and remains on alert for both defensive and offensive missions at sea across all arenas.
Chief Of Staff: ‘This Is Our Duty – Freedom!’
The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, held a Passover Seder at the “Mevo Dofan” post in northern Samaria, together with troops and commanders from the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion who have been operating since the October 7th Massacre. The battalion has lost 27 of its commanders and soldiers, and hundreds more wounded in combat.
The Chief of the General Staff joined the troops in the holiday evening prayer, held a conversation with the battalion’s commanders, and expressed his appreciation to IDF soldiers – in mandatory service, standing service, and the reserves. Together, they sat at the Seder table and read from the Haggadah.
The Chief of the General Staff brought with him to the holiday meal the “Haggadah of Freedom” which he received from released hostage Naama Levy on the eve of the holiday.
“For over a year and a half, the Nahal Brigade has been on the frontlines of the fighting. The Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion withstood the intense battle in the communities near the Gaza Strip on October 7th, standing as a defensive force against a vile enemy and paid a heavy price. Since then, the brigade’s troops have fought valiantly, after losing their brigade’s commanding officer that very day, the Reconnaissance Battalion commander, his deputy, a company commander, and other brave and heroic commanders who fought until the last moment. Tonight, we remember our brothers in arms, the 27 troops and commanders from the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion who fell during the war.”
“Your ability to recover has led to many achievements on the battlefield. A soldier who believes in himself, in his friends, and above all, in his commanders – is stronger than anything.”
“Your bravery in combat, your heroism, and your readiness for every mission – they are the iron wall of the State of Israel and they are what allow millions of citizens to gather around the holiday table, quietly and safely. The campaign is not over, even at this hour as we mark the Holiday of Freedom. This is our purpose, this is our duty – freedom!”
“We remember our hostages, 59 of them, still in Gaza. Bringing them home is our supreme mission, and everything we are doing in Gaza is to free the hostages and dismantle Hamas. Every IDF soldier and commander is committed to the hostages – it is a vital mission that remains constantly in our minds, in every decision and every action.”
“The forces in reserves are essential to the security of the country, and the soldiers and commanders deserve special recognition. At this very moment, as the people of Israel celebrate the holiday of Passover, tens of thousands of reservists are on the frontlines. Our freedom is bought with blood, and we have paid a heavy price with our civilians, combat soldiers, and support personnel from all branches since October 7th.”
The Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Ori Gordon, marked the holiday with troops from the 94th Battalion at the “Dovey” post with residents of Kibbutz Sasa.
The Commanding Officer of the Southern Command, MG Yaniv Asor, marked the holiday with troops and commanders from the Givati Brigade operating in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip.
The Commanding Officer of the Central Command, MG Avi Bluth, marked the holiday with troops from the 50th Battalion operating in the Judea region.
IDF Strikes Hamas In Gaza After Rocket launches during Passover Eve
The IDF on Sunday (13th) struck Hamas positions in Gaza after a rocket was launched from the Strip toward Israeli communities near the border on Saturday night (12th), during Passover’s Seder night, and was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force.
The military said rocket sirens were sounded in open areas, and that there were no reported injuries. The rocket was the fourth launched into Israel on Saturday (12th).
Following the launch, IDF Arabic language spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation warning to residents in central Gaza. “To all residents of the Nuseirat refugee camp nearby neighborhoods – this is your final warning before we strike,” he wrote.
“We will strike with maximum force any area from which rockets were fired. The terrorist organizations, particularly Hamas, bear full responsibility for the displacement and suffering of civilians. For your safety, move immediately south to the designated shelters in Al-Mawasi”
On Sunday morning (13th), the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed airstrikes on Hamas targets, including a hospital, saying it had struck a Hamas command center in northern Gaza located within the Al-Ahli Hospital.
The IDF said that all patients had been safely evacuated before the strikes.
The IDF added that Hamas “systematically violates international law while using civilian infrastructure, usually exploiting the civilian population as human shields for their terrorist activities.”
IDF Says Houthi Missile Intercepted, Shrapnel Falls In West Bank
Air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen early on Sunday evening (13th), according to the military.
The Houthis claimed to have fired two missiles in the attack, one targeting the Sdot Micha Airbase – where according to foreign reports Israel holds nuclear capable Jericho missiles – and the other aimed at Ben Gurion Airport.
The Israel Defense Forces reported that only one missile reached Israel and was successfully intercepted by air defenses. The second likely fell short, similar to numerous other recent Houthi attacks.
There were no injuries or major damage in the missile attack, though shrapnel from the interception reportedly fell in the Hebron area in the West Bank.
The Houthis further claimed to have targeted a “vital Israeli enemy target” in the Ashkelon area with a drone, but there were no reports of aircraft reaching Israel from Yemen in the past day.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched more than 20 ballistic missiles and several drones at Israel. Only half of the missiles set off sirens in Israel and were intercepted, while the others fell short.
The Houthis began their attacks in support of Palestinian terror group Hamas, which on October 7, 2023 invaded southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages to Gaza triggering the ongoing war there.
Yemen Gathering 80,000 Troops To Attack Houthis
Yemen is amassing 80,000 troops to attack the Houthis and recapture the strategic Hodeidah Port, Emirati state media reported on Friday (11th).
Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Gulf Research Center based in Saudi Arabia, said the attack could potentially be the largest of the civil war.
”To my best knowledge, there is a preparation of almost 80,000 soldiers from the legitimate Yemen government in different locations in order to take over Hodeidah,” Dr. Sager said.
The 80,000 is a majority of the legitimate military forces in Yemen, and the operation’s goal is to take back the capital city, Sana’a, for Yemen’s government, which was taken by the Houithis in 2014.
Hodeidah, a leading port in Yemen, was a crucial location for importing food.
Last week Dr. Sager said the US has agreed to provide drone surveillance and air cover for Yemeni forces.
“I believe we may be approaching the final chapter for the Houthis,” Dr. Sager said. “They’ve been given every opportunity to engage in political dialogue and contribute to a government that could spare Yemen from further suffering.”
A previous operation against the Houthis took place in 2018 and involved Yemeni, Saudi, and Emirati troops surrounding Hodeidah and cutting off supplies to the Houthis,
However, the UN pressured Yemen and coalition forces to sign the 2018 Stockholm Agreement to stop the operation and to allow humanitarian supplies into Hodeidah.
Source Of Deep Division: Hezbollah’s Silent Collapse In Lebanon
Lebanon’s deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, said Saturday (12th) in an interview with Qatari outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Hezbollah’s weapons are a “source of deep division among the Lebanese,” and that the Shiite terror group “no longer enjoys the same influence it once had.”
Speaking on the 50th anniversary of Lebanon’s civil war, Mitri said the country had been split into two camps in recent years: “one that boasts about Hezbollah’s weapons and draws political, social and economic power from them, and another that opposes the use of arms to impose such influence.”
He said the latter camp rejects “the existence of an armed organization outside the state’s legitimate authority.” While the divide still exists, he hoped it had diminished.
Hezbollah’s declining influence, according to Mitri, is due in part to its ongoing war with Israel, which has “weakened and exhausted it,” and to a growing political consensus around principles such as the state’s exclusive right to bear arms, the state’s authority over decisions of war and peace and its responsibility to reclaim all Lebanese territory.
He added that these principles have become more entrenched in Lebanese politics, altering the nature of the debate around Hezbollah’s weapons compared to the past.
Following a Hezbollah official’s statement last week that the group is open to talks on disarmament, a source close to the organization said most of its southern Lebanon bases have already been handed over to the Lebanese army.
Speaking anonymously to AFP, the source said that out of 265 Hezbollah outposts south of the Litani River, “around 190 have been transferred to the Lebanese army.” Under the ceasefire agreement signed in late November, Hezbollah is required to withdraw from all positions south of the river and dismantle its infrastructure there. Only the Lebanese army and UN monitors are permitted to operate in the area.
