DAY 449 OF THE WAR: Houthis Fire Missiles Toward Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Both Intercepted; IDF Captures 240 Terrorists Inside Gaza Hospital; Terror Attack in Herzliya

Tel Aviv Diary, December 28, 2024

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Our Next ZOOM BRIEFING will take place on Sunday, December 29th

6PM Israel Time • 4PM GB • 11AM EDT • 8AM PDT

The invitation will go out tomorrow morning

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Last night, the Houthis decided to let us share the experience of a middle-of-the-night missile attack with our friends in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, those of us living in Tel Aviv still went to sleep braced to be woken up at some point by the piercing sound of air raid sirens. Imagine my surprise when I woke up after 7 AM, without any interruptions. A quick look at my phone notifications confirmed that friends in Jerusalem had not been as fortunate. At 2:11 AM, a missile from Yemen was detected heading toward the Jerusalem area. Fortunately, the missile was intercepted.

On Thursday night, after our update was published, the Houthis launched yet another missile, prompting us all to trudge down to the bomb shelters. Seventeen individuals were injured in the scramble to reach safety. It appears that more people are being harmed in their attempt to reach safety than by the missiles themselves. The expectation is that these Houthi attacks will continue for weeks, if not months.

Over the past 48 hours, the United States has carried out two strikes in Yemen.

GAZA

Last night, it was announced that the Nahal Brigade, which had operated previously in the Rafah area, had relocated to the northern part of Gaza near Beit Hanoun—the initial entry point of IDF troops at the beginning of the ground operation in October 2023. This afternoon, approximately 200 meters from the Nahal Brigade’s position, Hamas fired two rockets toward the Jerusalem area. Fortunately, both rockets were intercepted before reaching their intended targets. The Army described this as an effort by Hamas to launch whatever they could before losing their assets, as Nahal troops methodically advanced through Beit Hanoun.

Various reports in the foreign media have criticized Israel’s actions at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. However, the reality of the situation is that Israel captured 240 terrorists there today, marking the highest number of captives taken in a single operation during the war thus far.

Here is the statement issued by the IDF regarding its operation in Kamal Adwan Hospital:

Combat forces from Task Force 401, Shayetet 13, Unit 504 investigators, and Shin Bet operatives, under the command of the 162nd Division and guided by intelligence from Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman) and Shin Bet, completed a targeted operation today (Saturday) against terror targets in the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital. This followed intelligence indicating that the hospital area had resumed serving as a Hamas stronghold and a refuge for terrorists, despite repeated calls to refrain from using medical facilities for military purposes.

At the start of the operation, Task Force 401 forces surrounded the hospital, apprehended terrorists hiding in the area, and neutralized additional militants. Shayetet 13 operatives conducted a focused operation inside the hospital, locating and confiscating weapons, including grenades, pistols, ammunition, and other military equipment.

During the operation, the forces detained over 240 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) operatives, as well as other suspects believed to be involved in terrorism. Some detainees attempted to disguise themselves as patients and medical staff, while others tried to flee in ambulances. Among those arrested and transferred for interrogation were the hospital’s director, suspected of being a Hamas operative; anti-tank and engineering operatives from Hamas; and approximately 15 militants who participated in the October 7 massacre.

In initial field interrogations conducted by Unit 504 field investigators and Shin Bet coordinators, many detainees admitted to participating in terror activities in the area.

While forces operated in the vicinity of the hospital, militants fired anti-tank missiles and RPGs at the troops and attempted additional terror operations, though there were no injuries among the Israeli forces. In a swift response, the forces neutralized the attackers. Additionally, Israeli Air Force aircraft targeted and eliminated several militants attempting to flee the area.

In preparation for the operation, over the past few weeks, 350 patients, escorts, and staff were evacuated from Kamal Adwan Hospital in coordination with the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) in COGAT. At the same time, tens of thousands of liters of fuel, as well as hundreds of food and medical supply packages, were delivered to the hospital.

During the operation, in coordination with the Gaza CLA and health authorities, 95 patients, escorts, and staff were safely transferred to the Indonesian Hospital. This included the delivery of 5,000 liters of fuel, two generators, and medical equipment to maintain critical systems and operations at the Indonesian Hospital. Additionally, hundreds of civilians were safely evacuated from the area through designated routes for their protection.

The IDF remains committed to adhering to international law regarding medical facilities, including those Hamas has chosen to exploit for its terror infrastructure, in blatant violation of international law.

LUDMILA LIPOVSKY

On Friday morning, an 83-year-old woman named Ludmila Lipovsky was tragically murdered in Herzliya. While waiting on a main street for her daughter to take her to a doctor's appointment, Lipovsky was attacked and fatally stabbed. The assailant, previously a Palestinian informant for Israeli security services, had been exposed as such and subsequently granted protection and residency in Israel.

HISTORIC VIDEO

For the last several weeks, I have been updating the videos in my HistoryCentral channel on YouTube. Tonight, I want to share an enhanced clip featuring historic footage of refugees aboard ships bound for British-Mandated Palestine, in 1946.

HOSTAGES

Tonight, as we lit the fourth Hanukah candle, we impatiently await a miracle in these days, at this challenging time. And still, after 449 days, we still have 100 hostages languishing in the tunnels beneath Gaza. May this festival of lights bring an end to this overwhelming darkness.