Israel News for 12-18-2023
News Update
Mossad Chief David Barnea is scheduled to meet with CIA Chief William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Poland today to discuss a possible deal to release hostages held by terrorists in Gaza. This comes in the wake of the tragic accidental killing of 3 hostages who managed to escape and were trying to reach Israeli troops. The soldiers who shot them acted against IDF rules of engagement. The incident is being investigated.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Genera Charles Brown are in Israel today to discuss the war with defense ministry leaders. Austin will meet with the full cabinet afterwards.
IDF soldiers killed in Gaza:
Master Sgt. (res.) Elisha Loewenstern, 38, 179th Reserve Armored Brigade’s 8104th Battalion, from Harish.
Staff Sergeant Boris Dunavetski, 21, 401st Brigade’s 46th Armored Battalion, .
Sergeant-Major Urija Bayer, 20, Maglan Unit, from Ma’alot Tarshiha.
Staff-Staff-Sergeant-Major Tal Filiba, 23, Yahalom Unit of the Combat Engineering Corps, from Rehovot.
Staff-Sergeant-Major Etan Naeh, 26, Duvdevan Unit, from Sde Eliyahu.
Sergeant-Major Liav Alous, 21, Duvdevan Unit, from Gedera.
Rockets were fired from Lebanon today and throughout the weekend. The IDF is responding with airstrikes and other means.
Syrian media reported Israeli strikes in 2 locations near Damascus, wounding 2 Syrian soldiers and causing material damage.
A terrorist stabbed a 49 year old IDF reservist at a gas station near the Ranthis checkpoint in Samaria yesterday. Troops later captured the terrorist. The soldier was moderately wounded and was evacuated to hospital for treatment. Earlier today, terrorist shot at 2 vehicles at the entrance to the settlement of Ateret near Ramallah. A 27 year old woman was hit in the shoulder. The terrorists fled to Ramallah.
A group of Israeli hackers called Predatory Sparrow claimed responsibility for disabling 70% of Iran’s gas stations today. The leader of the group wrote, “Today we shut down most of the gas stations in Iran in response to Iranian aggression in the region. Khamenei, know that playing with fire has a price. A month ago we warned you that we would make you pay for your provocations. This is just a taste of what’s to come that we are able to do. As in our previous operations, this attack was carried out in a controlled manner that prevented damage to emergency services. Before the attack, we sent a warning to the emergency services in Iran and made sure not to damage some of the gas stations in the country, even though we had the ability to disable them completely.”
