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The Israel Protection Forces had been on “excessive alert in all arenas,” IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari mentioned on the night of Jan. 2, after deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri was killed in Beirut that day. Though Arouri – one in every of Hamas’ key leaders – was based mostly overseas, he has been described as an “architect” behind the October 7 assault on Israel.
Israel didn’t declare accountability for eliminating Arouri, and Hezbollah mentioned the killing of Arouri wouldn’t go unpunished. “We’re very ready for any state of affairs. An important factor to say tonight is that we’re targeted and stay targeted on combating Hamas,” Hagari mentioned within the wake of the killing.
Arouri spent years within the highlight due to his involvement in assaults on Israel. He lived in Beirut, the place he was killed, having beforehand lived in Turkey and Qatar. He was born in 1966 close to Ramallah and spent a few years in Israeli jail for terrorist actions earlier than being launched in 2010. In early September 2023, he met with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhalah in Lebanon, a logo of his coordination with different Iran-backed teams. In August, Arouri’s assist for terrorism was highlighted at a cupboard assembly when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned: “Whoever helps terrorism can pay the total value.”
As Israel ready for escalation at different borders, the IDF continued to function in Gaza on 2 and three January. This included combating in Khan Yunis and in addition within the space of Khirbet Khuza’a close to the Israeli border. The IDF mentioned on January 3 that forces come across terrorists in Khirbet Khuza’a who had tried to plant an explosive system on a tank. The IDF mentioned troops known as in an airstrike to remove the risk. “Throughout searches of a college, troops discovered a tunnel shaft and pictures of weapons. As well as, IDF troops hit terrorist targets, together with statement posts and anti-tank posts, the IDF mentioned.
As a part of the operations in Gaza, the IDF additionally sought to spotlight the function drones have performed within the latest battle. IDF items coordinate carefully with the Air Power, which operates medium and bigger UAVs. These are used for reconnaissance and can be utilized to conduct airstrikes. “Oblique help is achieved by way of UAV operators’ communication with brigade forces and Israeli Air Power floor management,” the IDF mentioned on January 3. of land forces. The UAVs accompany the forces from the air and assault terrorists who cover inside civilian buildings and concrete areas to strategy and assault IDF troops,” the IDF mentioned. Israel makes use of a wide range of drones and UAVs, together with the Hermes 450, as effectively referred to as Zik.Items reminiscent of the brand new IDF Multidimensional Unit additionally use smaller quadcopter-style drones to hold out missions.
Regardless of considerations about escalation on January 3, there was relative quiet concerning rocket threats from Gaza. However, there have been extra incidents on different fronts. Within the afternoon, sirens sounded in Dovev and different communities close to the Mediterranean after a number of rocket launches from Lebanon. IDF artillery returned hearth. The IDF mentioned the Israeli air power additionally hit a Hezbollah web site.
Within the Pink Sea, the Iran-backed Houthis carried out an assault on the night of January 2. In response to the USA Central Command, “Iranian-backed Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen into the southern Pink Sea. A number of industrial ships within the space reported the affect of the ASBMs within the surrounding waters, though none have reported any harm.” The Houthis additionally claimed on January 3 that that they had focused one other ship. Threats within the Pink Sea now additionally embrace an Iranian destroyer which has lately entered the realm.
Collectively, the combating in Gaza, rocket launches from Lebanon, Iran-backed threats in opposition to US forces in Syria and Iraq, and the Pink Sea tensions present Iran’s try and inflame numerous arenas within the area. Israel has mentioned it’s ready for escalation on any of those fronts.
A complete of 509 IDF troopers have been killed in fight for the reason that October 7 Hamas assault.
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