Israel/Hamas War Situation Report #26

Military and Diplomatic Highlights:

· On January 1st, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Israel.

· The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on January 1st struck military targets belonging to the Syrian military and Hezbollah in Lebanon due to launches from these two countries.

· The IDF continues to operate in the Gaza Strip, the following accomplishments were reported:

o Adil Mismah, the Hamas Nukhba Company Commander of Deir al-Balah was killed.

o In Shejaiya, IDF troops struck numerous Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror targets.

o IDF destroyed a launch post and eliminated a terrorist cell that attacked IDF forces with mortar shells.

· On December 31st, the Israeli Air Force intercepted a hostile aircraft that was in-route to Israeli territory from the east.

· As of December 30th, a total of 168 IDF soldiers have been killed and 955 injured.

Civil Protection and Humanitarian Assistance Highlights:

Israel:

· On December 31st, the Magen David Adom (MDA) responded to a terrorist stabbing attack near the Mishor Adumim Industrial Zone and treated two security guards.

Gaza Strip:

· There remains 1.9 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the Gaza Strip:

o As of December 30th, nearly 1.4 million IDPs are sheltering in 155 UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) facilities.

o A total of 1.79 million IDPs are receiving assistance from the UNRWA.

o As of January 1st, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in collaboration with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society has opened the IDP camp in the Khan Younis. This IDP will eventually expand to 1,000 tents.

· On January 2nd, the UN Children’s Fund delivered 600,000 vaccine doses.

· On December 30th, 103 trucks with food and medical supplies entered Gaza.

Violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Highlights:

· The IDF reports that Hamas is still holding 129 hostages.

· As of January 1st, 142 UNRWA staff members have been killed.

· Israeli forces for the second time targeted the PRCS headquarters and the Al-Amal Hospital. Both facilities are sheltering 14,000 IDPs. The PRCS reported that five IDPs were killed and three people injured in this latest attack.

Dis-Information Highlights:

· A social media post has been circulated that the Gaza Ministry of Education ended the school year because all of their students have died.

Sources:

· UNRWA Situation Report #59 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem (All Information from 31 December 2023 - 1 January 2024 at 22:30 (local time)

· Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #81

· Israeli Defense Forces Twitter Page

· Magen David Adom Twitter Page

· Palestine Red Crescent Society Twitter Page

· OCHA Palestine Occupied Territories Twitter Page

· WHO Occupied Territories Twitter Page

· UN Agency for Palestine Refugees Twitter Page

· WHO Occupied Palestinian Territory Twitter Page