Enough is Enough
A window into a week of war on multiple fronts
Hi everyone.
In this week’s Mission Brief, be prepared to cover some serious distances with me.
I can already hear brows furrowing and beards being scratched…
Yes, we’ll be flying 1,700 kilometers away from Israel’s borders, exposing what’s been going on 20 meters under the city of Khan Yunis in Gaza, and traversing the whole 90 meters of the Israeli Navy’s newest landing crafts.
So, buckle up for the journey, but before we start…
Deadly UAV Attack on Tel Aviv
First, let’s rewind to last Friday.
In the early hours of the morning, the city of Tel Aviv was shaken by a powerful explosion.
After approaching the city from the west, an Iranian-made explosive UAV flew into an apartment building in the center of the city, a few blocks away from the U.S. Embassy Branch Office. This attack tragically claimed the life of Yevgeny Ferder, a 50-year-old Israeli civilian, and injured several others.
Who launched the UAV? And where was it fired from?
To answer these questions, we have to go a little further back in time.
Over the past nine months, Israel has been fighting a multifront war against Iran's terror proxies, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq, and - answering the above questions - the Houthis in Yemen.
Since the start of the war, the Houthi terror group has launched over 220 projectiles toward Israel. These attacks, orchestrated with Iranian support, have involved sophisticated explosive UAVs and surface-to-surface missiles, demonstrating the dangerous capabilities at their disposal.
So who are the Houthis?
The Houthi, or “Ansar Allah”, terrorist group was formed in Yemen in the 1990s. It started as a moderate theological movement but has since devolved into a dangerous terror force in the region. In 2003, the Houthis officially adopted their current slogan:
"God Is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam"
providing a clear insight into what they stand for. With the support of Iran, the Houthis, who are active slave dealers, have led Yemen into a brutal civil war and caused a severe humanitarian crisis in recent years.
The Houthis target other Middle Eastern countries, the U.S., and international shipping routes in the Red Sea. These attacks endanger mariners, disrupt the free flow of commerce, and interfere with navigational rights and freedoms. In recent months, an international maritime coalition, led by U.S. CENTCOM, has been operating to successfully intercept many of the Houthi attacks and restore security to the Red Sea.
In the face of this persistent campaign of aggression and following the escalation by the Houthis on Friday morning, Israel acted in self-defense of its citizens and sovereignty.
On Saturday, in Operation “Outstretched Arm”, the Israeli Air Force flew over 1,700km from Israel territory and conducted precise airstrikes on Houthi military targets in Al-Hudaydah Port. This port serves as a critical supply route for Iranian weapons destined for the Houthis, such as the UAV used in the recent Tel Aviv attack.
Enough is enough.
Israel will not stand idly by as its citizens are targeted by relentless acts of aggression. The Houthi attacks, fueled by Iran, are a clear violation of international law and a threat to global stability.
The IDF’s decisive actions in response demonstrate our unwavering commitment to defending our nation and ensuring the safety of our people from threats - both near and far.
Khan Yunis: Rocket Fire from the Humanitarian Area and a Hostage Rescue Mission
In the Gaza Strip, we are continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war: bring home all the hostages and dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.
On Monday, the IDF called on Gazan civilians to temporarily evacuate from specific areas of Khan Yunis, including parts of the designated Humanitarian Area. This was carried out following intelligence indicating that terrorists were operating and firing rockets in these areas, as well as efforts by Hamas to reassemble its forces there.
The calls for the temporary evacuation were communicated to residents through leaflets, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic.
Let me be clear: the majority of the Humanitarian Area remains designated for shelter from combat zones. The adjustment of the Humanitarian Area was made in order to enable the IDF to operate against Hamas in a specific area where the terrorist group has cynically embedded its infrastructure (more on this below).
Throughout the week, the troops of the 98th Division have been operating above and below ground in the Khan Yunis area against terrorist operatives and infrastructure.
On Wednesday, during IDF operations based on precise intelligence in Khan Yunis, five Israeli hostages who were killed on October 7th and held captive in Gaza ever since were rescued and returned home to Israel for burial.
SGT Kiril Brodski (19), Maya Goren (56),
SSGT Tomer Ahimas (20), MSG (Res.) Oren Goldin (33), and SGM (Res.) Ravid Aryeh Katz (51)
I want to share with you the story of one of these hostages:
Maya Goren, aged 56, was a mother of four, and a kindergarten teacher from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Maya spent her life caring for the youngest children on the kibbutz.
On the morning of October 7th, Maya went early to set up the kindergarten for the following day. While she was there, Hamas terrorists began their invasion of the kibbutz. The terrorists attacked and murdered Maya inside the kindergarten, and abducted her into Gaza. Her husband, Avner, was also murdered inside the kibbutz on October 7th.
The bodies of these five hostages - Maya, Oren, Ravid, Tomer and Kiril - were all being held twenty meters below ground in a tunnel in Khan Yunis.
This was directly below an area that had previously been designated as part of the Humanitarian Area by the IDF.
Yes, the same Humanitarian Area designated by the IDF for Gazan civilians to move away from the battlefield and receive humanitarian aid and shelter, was used by Hamas to hold the bodies of our hostages captive.
This is the enemy we are fighting against.
An enemy with no regard or respect for the dignity of human life - or of death.
Enough is enough.
We will continue to do all we can to bring home all 115 hostages still in Gaza as soon as possible.
Updates from the field:
Judea and Samaria: This week, the IDF, ISA, and Israeli Border Police conducted a joint counterterrorism operation in the Tulkarm area of Judea and Samaria. During the operation, the IAF struck and eliminated Ashraf Nafa, the Head of the Hamas branch in the Tulkarm area. The forces also encountered a number of armed terrorists - including one was notably dressed as a medic - and neutralized numerous explosives that had been planted underneath the roads. The IDF will continue to operate against Hamas terrorism in Gaza - and wherever else Hamas is embedded.
Northern Border: The Hezbollah terror organization continued to fire at northern Israel throughout the week. On Thursday morning, the IAF intercepted a suspicious aerial target off the coast of the city of Nahariya. The IDF continued its responsive strikes against Hezbollah terror operatives and infrastructure in Lebanon.
Humanitarian Aid into Gaza: Humanitarian aid continues to be transferred into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings, as well as Gate 96. COGAT announced that over 500,000 vaccine vials - enough for 2 million people, have entered Gaza since the start of the war. You can keep up to date with the latest humanitarian updates with COGAT’s new dashboard: Israel Humanitarian efforts - Swords of Iron (gaza-aid-data.gov.il)
Israel Navy: The Israeli Navy held a ceremony to welcome two new landing crafts, the INS Nahshon and INS Komemiyut. The pair of landing crafts completed their transoceanic voyage from the port of Pascagoula in the United States to Israel and began the operational process that included trials and installation of Israeli-made combat systems at the Israeli Navy shipyard. The landing crafts are 95 meters in length and 20 meters wide. Take a look:
As the Paris Olympics begin, I want to wish the Israeli delegation the best of luck.
A special mention goes to Oren Smadja, the coach of the Israeli men's judo team.
On June 20, 2024, on Oren’s birthday, the family were informed that their eldest son, Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Smadja of the Golani Brigade, was killed in battle in Gaza. He was 25 years old.
At the end of the period of mourning, Oren announced that he would be going ahead with plans to coach the Olympic team in Paris. Oren said:
"In spite of all the difficulty and pain, I know that I have to carry out my mission and my commitment to the world, especially at this time.”
The whole country is behind you and your team, Oren. B’hatzalacha raba!
That’s it from this week’s Mission Brief.
Shabbat Shalom,
Nadav.
So heartbreaking regarding Omer and all the other soldiers. Behatzlachah Oren and to the entire Olympic!!
We are with you ALWAYS!