Israel-Hamas Conflict: 9 Soldiers Fall In Gaza, Including 4 From Special Operations Unit

Strike before Hezbollah commander's funeral killed chief of terror group's drone unit: Local media

The strike that hit a car, near the home of an assassinated senior Hezbollah commander before his funeral, killed the Hezbollah leader "who commanded the launch" of drones to the IDF's Northern Command base, local N12 News reported Tuesday afternoon.

International Business Times cannot independently verify the report. The Israeli army and Hezbollah have yet to confirm the report.

Strike hits vehicle before Hezbollah senior commander's funeral: Lebanese media

A vehicle was struck "shortly" before the start of funeral rites for a senior Hezbollah elite force leader who was killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike, multiple local outlets reported, citing Lebanese media. The car was reportedly near the home of the slain Hezbollah official.

There were casualties reported in the attack, but the exact number was not immediately known.

Drone alerts in Upper Galilee

Drone alert sirens sounded in Upper Galilee Tuesday afternoon, local media reported, amid escalating attacks by Lebanon-based Hezbollah toward northern Israel.

Hezbollah Brigades spox predicts anti-Israel axis will reach East Asia

Jaafar al-Husseini, spokesman of the Hezbollah Brigades, told Al Mayadeen in an interview published Tuesday that he expects the "scope of this [anti-Israel] axis" to "expand and reach East Asia" in the coming decade, as per a Google-translation of his remarks.

Al-Husseini's comments come amid increasing attacks toward Israel by Lebanon-based Israel, Iraqi militia, and other factions in Syria – all of which are backed by Iran.

Among the countries in East Asia are military superpowers China and North Korea. South Korea's intelligence agency on Monday confirmed suspicions that Hamas had been using weapons manufactured in North Korea.

He added that Hezbollah will respond to any attacks by U.S. and Israel against Yemen or Lebanon.

Israel to inform Blinken of its stance regarding northern Gaza residents: Report

Israeli officials will inform Blinken Tuesday that the country will block the return of northern Gaza residents to their homes "if there is no progress with the release of hostages," Axios reported early Tuesday, citing two senior Israeli officials.

The officials noted that the Israeli government doesn't "in principle" oppose the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, officials will let Blinken know that such a move should be included in a new hostage exchange agreement with Hamas.

"There are Israeli and American hostages that are still held in Gaza. We think we will know within a few weeks whether a new deal to release them is possible or not," one official said.

Blinken said Sunday, in a media briefing after his meeting with Qatar's prime minister, that Palestinian civilians "must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow."

Herzog to Blinken: Israel will present its 'fundamental right' to self-defense at ICJ

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday met with Blinken during the U.S. Secretary of State's visit in Israel. Herzog said he informed Blinken that Israel's representatives "will proudly & clearly present the fundamental right of Israel to defend itself" at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

He also discussed the plight of more than 130 hostages still in Hamas captivity more than three months into the war.

South Africa lodged a case against Israel at the ICJ, accusing it of committing "genocidal acts" against the Palestinian people.

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Israel reiterates it is not preventing food from entering Gaza

The Israeli government on Tuesday reiterated that it has not been preventing food from entering the Gaza Strip, as claimed by United Nations chief Antonio Guterres that Israel's military offensive in the enclave was "creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid."

"Israel has not and will not stand in the way of providing food or any other form of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," said Shani Sasson, spokesperson of the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) department.

Israeli ground troops 'deepening' Khan Yunis operations

Israeli ground forces are "deepening their operational grip on the south of the Gaza Strip," the IDF said Tuesday. In particular, commando fighters that are operating "in the heart of the Khan Yunis area" are conducting raids on Hamas infrastructure and underground complexes.

9 soldiers killed in Gaza

In one of the deadliest days for the Israeli army, the IDF announced on Tuesday announced the deaths of nine soldiers in the Gaza Strip on Monday, of which four were from a special operations unit in the IDF.

• Capt. Ron Efraimi, 26 – combat engineering officer in the Yahalom unit of the Combat Engineering Corps
• Capt. Denis Krokhmelov, 32 – combat engineering officer in the Yahalom unit of the Combat Engineering Corps
• Sgt. Amit Shahar, 25 – fighter in the Yahalom unit of the Combat Engineering Corps
• Sgt. Roy Avraham Maimon, 24 – combat paramedic in the Yahalom unit of the Combat Engineering Corps
• Sgt. Maj. Akiva Yasinksy, 35 – fighter in the 8173^rd Engineering Battalion of the Etzioni Brigade
• Sgt. Gabriel Blum, 27 – fighter in the 8173^rd Engineering Battalion of the Etzioni Brigade
• Sgt. David Shortz, 26 – fighter in the 8219^th Engineering Battalion of the "Hafti Hash" formation
• Sgt. Yakir Hester, 26 – fighter in the 8219^th Engineering Battalion of the "Hafti Hash" formation
• Sgt. Roy Tal, 19 – fighter in the 94^th Battalion of the Kfir Brigade

Hezbollah launches drones toward IDF Northern Command base

The Israeli army said a base "in the north" was attacked by "hostile air targets that crossed from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory" Tuesday morning local time. No injuries or damages were caused by the drone attack, it added.

Other aerial targets that crossed into Israel were intercepted by Israeli missiles, the IDF said.

Local outlets reported earlier that the Israeli army's Northern Command headquarters was attacked by Iran-backed Hezbollah, a terror group with a much larger weapon arsenal and regional influence than Hamas.

Hezbollah has since announced its drone attacks targeting the IDF's Northern Command base, claiming that the attacks were in response to the assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanese territory last week, as per local i24 News correspondent Ariel Oseran.

Israeli troops uncover 'largest weapons production site' since Oct. 7

Israeli forces have uncovered "the largest weapons production site since the beginning of the war," the IDF said Tuesday. The facility was constructed by Hamas in al-Bureij, "a densely populated civilian area in central Gaza," the Israeli army added.

Among the assets discovered in the area were long-range rockets that could reach northern Israel from Gaza, as well as accuracy enhancers and tunnel shafts that reached approximately 30 meters (around 98 feet) below the ground.

Biden says 'quietly' working to convince Israel to 'significantly' withdraw troops

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday told the audience of a South Carolina church that he was working behind the scenes to convince the Israeli government to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

"I understand their passion, and I've been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza," he said following an interruption of his speech by pro-Palestine protesters. "I've been using all that I can to do that," he added.

His remarks came as the international community calls on Israel to continue reducing its presence in the enclave amid a devastating death toll that the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry says has topped 23,000.

Blinken seeks to press Israel to better protect Gaza civilians

The U.S. Secretary of State arrived in Israel Tuesday following his Saudi visit, and is aiming to press the Netanyahu government to work harder in protecting civilians in Gaza.

"I will press on the absolute imperative to do more to protect civilians and to do more to make sure that humanitarian assistance is getting into the hands of those who need it," Blinken said while in Saudi Arabia.

His Middle East trip comes as tensions flare up in the Middle East amid new fronts targeting Israel as initiated by Hamas allies and other pro-Iranian factions.

Netanyahu says Israel wants to 'restore security' in the north

The Israeli prime minister on Monday spoke with industrialists and factory owners in northern Israel. He also visited the Tnuva Galilee plant in Kiryat Shmona, located near the Israel-Lebanon border.

"This is a security commitment to the residents. While this has implications for you, we are in a major fight to restore security," Netanyahu said during the meeting in a specific address regarding evacuations implemented amid continuing attacks by Hezbollah.

"The test for the restoration of security is that residents will return to their homes. We are working on this with every possible tool, on all channels: military, diplomatic," he said as per a statement from his office.

Israeli strike kills 3 Hezbollah members: Reports

Three Hezbollah fighters were killed Tuesday in an Israeli strike in Ghandouriyeh, southern Lebanon, multiple outlets reported. The deceased combatants were not immediately identified.

The news comes a day after reports emerged of the assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander in an Israeli bombardment Monday. Hezbollah has since confirmed the killing of Wissam al-Tawil, a senior commander in its elite Radwan force in an Israeli strike that killed another member of the terror group.

Israel carrying 'deadlier, more frequent' strikes in Syria: Report

The Israeli army is conducting an unprecedented series of deadly strikes in Syria that target cargo trucks and infrastructure, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The strikes are also targeting people involved in Iran's weaponry circle, as per the report. "Israel is now unleashing deadlier, more frequent air raids against Iranian arms transfers and air defense systems in Syria," a commander in the regional alliance backing Damascus told the outlet.

Israel has yet to officially confirm the report, but Israeli forces have conducted airstrikes in Syria in recent weeks. It struck Syrian military assets on New Year's Day following earlier launches from Syrian territory toward Israel.