IDF masses forces in southern Gaza as fighting rages

Dozens of IDF tanks moved into southern Gaza on Monday evening and were observed near Khan Yunis, with air strikes against that same southern area as well as on Deir al-Balah and Rafah.

According to videos, and foreign and Palestinian reports, Israel trudged further into the south of the enclave.

Three more IDF soldiers died in Gaza battles on Sunday, the military announced on Monday and confirmed the death of a man taken from the Supernova music festival on October 7.

Armored personnel carriers and bulldozers were observed in the area as well, although IDF Chief Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari referred only to IDF developments in the north. Sources in the military said they are intentionally avoiding giving the location of forces in the south until the invasion has moved to a later stage.

צה"ל תקף במהלך הלילה כ-200 מטרות של ארגון הטרור חמאס; כוחות קרקעים ממשיכים בלחימה הושמדו תשתיות טרור שמוקמו בתוך בתי ספר בצפון הרצועהכוחות קרקעיים של צה"ל ממשיכים לפעול בשטח הרצועה לצד תקיפות נרחבות של חיל האוויר>> pic.twitter.com/M6VoCpcOyD

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 4, 2023

Although the IDF started to disclose its positions and achievements around a week and a half into the invasion of northern Gaza, the military had also kept a lid on the specifics for the first 10 days or so. However, a number of top defense officials said they believe that Hamas’s high command is in Khan Yunis and other parts of south Gaza.

A senior security official shared insights on the escalated efforts to locate Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, revealing that “there is a significant intelligence effort underway to track down Sinwar,” emphasizing his misjudgment of the IDF’s strength and his shock at recent military actions in Al-Shifa Hospital.

In a separate discussion, it was claimed that the elimination of Sinwar could significantly alter the dynamics of hostage releases. The source noted that “a large intelligence operation is focused on Sinwar’s whereabouts.”

Palestinian telecom company Paltel said that telecommunication services were cut off in the Gaza Strip after the service was repaired.

IDF announces names of three fallen soldiers

Early Monday morning, the IDF announced the names of three soldiers who fell in combat in the Strip on Sunday, identifying them as Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Neriya Shaer, 36, from Yavne; Sgt.-1st Class (res.) Ben Zussman, 22, from Jerusalem; and Sgt. Binyamin Yehoshua Needham, 19, from Zichron Ya’akov.

Yonatan Samerano, taken hostage by Hamas during the Re’im music festival massacre on October 7, was murdered in Gaza captivity, his family was notified on Sunday. Samerano, 21, from Tel Aviv, escaped the festival in the direction of Kibbutz Be’eri on the day of the attacks before being shot and taken into Gaza.

Meanwhile, the fate of Hamas terrorists in southern Gaza will be “the same as and worse” than those in northern Gaza, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Monday evening.

“We will continue until victory and until all goals are achieved: the elimination of Hamas and the return of the hostages to the State of Israel.”

IDF Southern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkleman on Monday told troops he was visiting in Gaza, “We will continue in Shejaia, Jabalya, and the south – until the defeat,” of Hamas.

The IDF opened up a safe corridor for the humanitarian movement of civilians on a bypass road west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Monday, according to the military spokesperson for Arabic media, Avichay Adraee – another hint of the advancing IDF invasion in the south.

Some observers have speculated that the IDF invasion has moved slowly in case Hamas might return to the negotiating table to return more hostages. The more committed ground forces become in southern Gaza, the harder it will be to have them stand down for another ceasefire.

Palestinian terrorists did not stand down, however, firing rockets at central Israel, as well as southern towns and the major southern city of Beersheba.

IDF strikes

Meanwhile, the IDF struck an operational headquarters, weapons storage warehouse, and other infrastructure used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Monday, in response to continued rocket fire by the terrorist group toward northern Israel.

Among the targets hit were a Hezbollah weapons depot near Arab Al-Aramshe and sites from which rockets were launched in southern Lebanon. IDF artillery fire targeted several other sites in southern Lebanon as well.

According to the army, several projectiles were fired toward an IDF post near Arab al-Aramshe, and toward Matat, Tel Hai, Shtula, and Kiryat Shmona on Monday.

The Hezbollah terrorist organization took responsibility for at least nine attacks against sites in northern Israel on Monday, with the group having fired on Israel well over 1,000 times since October 7.

According to Lebanese reports, an empty house in Umm al-Tut, another house in Bint Jbeil, and another one in Maroun el Rass in southern Lebanon were hit by Israeli strikes. A fire broke out in the house in Bint Jbeil, according to the reports.

Additionally, a Syrian citizen was injured in Israeli strikes in Wazzani in southern Lebanon on Monday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). The report did not state what condition the Syrian was in.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea in Beirut on Monday to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, according to NNA.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib told the Lebanese Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that European Union officials had warned Beirut against entering a war with Jerusalem, with Bou Habib claiming that Israel “took the initiative and threatened.”

The foreign minister added that Israel has sent several messages through the EU demanding that Lebanon implement UNSC Resolution 1701 and force Hezbollah to move back north of the Litani River.

Bou Habib claimed that Lebanon had only conducted violations of the resolution recently and accused Israel of violating the resolution 30,000 times annually.

The foreign minister committed to implementing the resolution called for Israel and Lebanon to reach agreements about their land border, saying “This could reduce the tension and enhance the chances of peace and stability in southern Lebanon.”

On October 8, the day after Hamas’s Gaza border massacre, Hezbollah started unprovoked attacks against Israel, following the intensifying fighting between the IDF and Hamas.

Moreover, since the beginning of the year, Hezbollah and Palestinian factions operating with the Lebanese-based terrorist group’s approval have conducted attacks against northern Israel, including an infiltration and bombing attack near Megiddo in March and the establishment of tents staffed with armed terrorists in the Har Dov area.

Walla contributed to this report.