Jerusalem [Israel], December 29 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have arrested over 240 terrorist operatives, including key Hamas members, during a military operation at Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital.
The operation, launched on Friday, targeted terrorist infrastructure and operatives, with several suspects attempting to pose as patients or escape using ambulances. In a post on X, the IDF noted, “More than 240 Hamas, Islamic Jihad terrorists, and other operatives suspected of terrorist activities were apprehended, some of whom attempted to pose as patients or flee using ambulances.”
The operation also led to the arrest of approximately 15 terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 attacks, along with Hamas engineering and anti-tank missile operatives, who were taken in for questioning.
In a significant development, the IDF reported that the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, “suspected of being a Hamas terrorist operative,” was also taken in for questioning.
The IDF stated that its special forces conducted precise activities inside the hospital, locating and confiscating weapons, including grenades, guns, munitions, and military equipment.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a military operation around the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza on Friday after receiving intelligence about terrorist infrastructure and operatives conducting terrorist activities in the area.
The IDF said that its troops are carrying out targeted operations in the area while mitigating harm to uninvolved civilians, patients, and medical personnel.
The military operations come after the Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on military targets belonging to Houthis on the western coast and inland Yemen on Thursday.
The attacks were carried upon the Houthi military infrastructure used for its military activities. The sites targeted included the Sana’a International Airport and the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations in addition to Al-Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Kanatib ports on the western coast.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus narrowly escaped an aerial bombardment at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen. (ANI)
‘Military base disguised as a village’: IDF uncovers Hezbollah’s hidden arsenal amid fragile ceasefire
Jerusalem [Israel], December 29 (ANI/TPS): As the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah holds, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) keep uncovering a significant cache of weapons hidden within civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These discoveries underscore ongoing concerns about Hezbollah‘s military buildup and its exploitation of civilian areas for terrorist purposes, regardless of the ceasefire conditions.
“Those aren’t villages with some military infrastructure, this is a military base disguised as a civilian area,” Sarit Zahavi, president of the Alma Research Center, commented to The Press Service of Israel.
Among the discoveries made on Friday was a truck mounted with 40 rocket launcher barrels, located by the IDF‘s 226th Brigade near Naqoura, a village close to the Israeli border. Additional military equipment, including explosives, RPG missiles, and rifles, was found concealed inside a pharmacy, while underground facilities held “Burkan” missiles and other weapons ready for use.
Also on Friday, the IDF carried out an airstrike targeting Hezbollah‘s Unit 4400, which oversees weapons smuggling from Iran through Syria into Lebanon. According to the IDF, these actions aim to disrupt Hezbollah‘s rearmament efforts following the war.
Zahavi, who resides in northern Israel, stressed the ongoing tension among Israeli communities near the border. She emphasized that the IDF‘s findings illustrate the extent of Hezbollah‘s military buildup.
Hezbollah appears to be preparing for the next phase of conflict. Zahavi noted that the group is already coordinating reconstruction efforts through its organization, “Jihad al-Bina”.
“They’ve set up a command center in southern Lebanon to map damages, assist residents, and rebuild infrastructure,” she explained.
These activities raise questions about how Hezbollah might use the current lull in hostilities to strengthen its military capabilities. The discoveries come amid growing friction between the IDF and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In a statement on December 26, UNIFIL urged both sides to respect the ceasefire agreement and adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701. (ANI/TPS)
“Any actions that risk the fragile cessation of hostilities must cease,” the statement read, highlighting concerns over IDF operations in residential areas. UNIFIL emphasized its role in ensuring that the area south of the Litani River remains free of armed personnel and weapons other than those of the Lebanese government and the mission itself.
However, Zahavi criticized UNIFIL’s effectiveness, arguing it has done little to counter Hezbollah‘s efforts, leaving a significant portion of southern Lebanon unchecked.
“UNIFIL has failed to identify and dismantle Hezbollah‘s military infrastructure, much of which was built in open areas under their watch,” Zahavi said. She described Hezbollah‘s systematic embedding of weapons in civilian areas as a deliberate strategy to exploit both UNIFIL and international law.
The IDF dismissed the UNIFIL criticism, asserting in the comment for TPS-IL that its operations are in line with the ceasefire understandings.
“The IDF operates in accordance with the agreements and understandings between Israel and Lebanon, maintaining the terms of the ceasefire. The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon and will act to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens,” the IDF stated. It reiterated the commitment to protect Israeli citizens and ensure that southern Lebanon does not become a launching pad for future attacks.
As the ceasefire’s one-month mark passes, uncertainty looms over what comes next. While the IDF continues to uncover and dismantle Hezbollah‘s infrastructure, Zahavi warned that the current peace is tenuous at best.
“There’s a deep fear here in North Israel about what will happen once the ceasefire ends,” she said, pointing to the unresolved tensions and the limited trust in international mechanisms.
Under the terms of a two-month ceasefire that went into effect on November 27, Hezbollah is supposed to withdraw its armed presence from areas of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River.
Israeli forces will also withdraw from southern Lebanon in stages. The Lebanese Armed Forces are to be deployed there first, including along the 120 km border with Israel, with monitors from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah is forbidden from operating in southern Lebanon south of the Litani River. (ANI/TPS)
Kamal Adwan Hospital director held for questioning as alleged suspect in terrorist activities, confirms IDF
Jerusalem [Israel], December 29 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sunday that the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza is being questioned for his suspected involvement in terrorist activities, following a raid that led to the arrest of over 240 alleged Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives.
The IDF’s operation, aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure, also resulted in the seizure of weapons and military equipment from the hospital, which is believed to have been used as a Hamas command centre.
The IDF’s international spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, confirmed the development in a response to a user on social media platform X. He stated, “At this time, we can confirm that the director of the hospital is a suspect and is currently being questioned regarding his potential involvement in terrorist activity.
This announcement follows reports by Al Jazeera, which cited the Gaza Health Ministry, stating that detainees from the IDF’s raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital had been released, but the whereabouts of the hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safia, remained unknown.
In a previous post, Lt. Col Shoshani shared the details on X of what happened before and during IDF’s operation in the “Hamas command center embedded in the Kamal Adwan Hospital”.
Before the operation began, the IDF evacuated 350 patients, medical staff, and caregivers from the hospital to other facilities in coordination with COGAT, Israel’s Unit for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories. The IDF also provided humanitarian assistance, including fuel, food, and medical supplies.
COGAT is responsible for coordination and liaison with the Palestinian Authority and serves as a major source of information for the Palestinian sector as per the official website of the Government of Israel.
Lt Col Shoshani also mentioned that fuel, food and medical supplies were delivered to the hospital.
“These are just some of the humanitarian efforts led by the IDF during this complex operation in which over 240 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were apprehended and munitions including grenades, guns, and military equipment were found inside the hospital”, the post mentioned.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a military operation around the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza on Friday after receiving intelligence about terrorist infrastructure and operatives conducting terrorist activities in the area. (ANI)
Kamal Adwan Hospital director held for questioning as alleged suspect in terrorist activities, confirms IDF
Jerusalem [Israel], December 29 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sunday that the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza is being questioned for his suspected involvement in terrorist activities, following a raid that led to the arrest of over 240 alleged Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives.
The IDF’s operation, aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure, also resulted in the seizure of weapons and military equipment from the hospital, which is believed to have been used as a Hamas command centre.
The IDF’s international spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, confirmed the development in a response to a user on social media platform X. He stated, “At this time, we can confirm that the director of the hospital is a suspect and is currently being questioned regarding his potential involvement in terrorist activity.
This announcement follows reports by Al Jazeera, which cited the Gaza Health Ministry, stating that detainees from the IDF’s raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital had been released, but the whereabouts of the hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safia, remained unknown.
In a previous post, Lt. Col Shoshani shared the details on X of what happened before and during IDF’s operation in the “Hamas command center embedded in the Kamal Adwan Hospital”.
Before the operation began, the IDF evacuated 350 patients, medical staff, and caregivers from the hospital to other facilities in coordination with COGAT, Israel’s Unit for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories. The IDF also provided humanitarian assistance, including fuel, food, and medical supplies.
COGAT is responsible for coordination and liaison with the Palestinian Authority and serves as a major source of information for the Palestinian sector as per the official website of the Government of Israel.
Lt Col Shoshani also mentioned that fuel, food and medical supplies were delivered to the hospital.
“These are just some of the humanitarian efforts led by the IDF during this complex operation in which over 240 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were apprehended and munitions including grenades, guns, and military equipment were found inside the hospital”, the post mentioned.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a military operation around the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza on Friday after receiving intelligence about terrorist infrastructure and operatives conducting terrorist activities in the area. (ANI)
