The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its ban on all US flights in and out of Israel late Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized and was suspicious of the ban saying it was a means by the Obama administration to launch an economic boycott on Israel, in order to force a ceasefire in Gaza.
Over the past 24 hours some 200 terrorist targets were destroyed. Two Israeli soldiers died in overnight fighting, raising the death toll of IDF soldiers to 29 as Operation Protective Edge enters its 16th day.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) discovered rockets hidden in a vacant school for the second time in as many weeks in the Gaza Strip. Earlier this week, rockets found previously in a UNRWA run school were given back to Hamas.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are waging war — underground. As tunnels are uncovered on a daily basis, an underground Gaza has emerged complicating efforts in dismantling Hamas infrastructure. Tunnels stretching over 2.5 kilometers long, and costing an estimated $10 million dollars have been discovered and destroyed by the IDF. However, U.S. intelligence officials warn that Israel is underestimating the number and extent of the underground tunnel network.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it identified six of seven bodies killed in Sunday’s attack, and the seventh soldier is now considered ‘missing in action’. Two more soldiers were killed in overnight action, raising the total of Israeli casualties to 27.
UN Secretary-General Ban- Ki moon is to arrive in Israel on Tuesday, and US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Cairo on Monday night amid a sudden spurt of intensive efforts to broker a Gaza cease-fire, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Seven Israeli soldiers have been killed over the past 24 hours in Gaza. Meanwhile, multiple reports indicate that a Sudanese munitions warehouse containing rockets intended for Hamas was destroyed on Friday night.
Two Hamas cell groups infiltrated Israel through tunnels from the northern Gaza Strip were quickly identified and neutralized leaving ten of its members dead.
Thirteen Israeli soldiers, two of were U.S.-Israel dual citizens, from the Golani Brigade were killed in overnight fighting in the Gaza Strip. Sixty Hamas terrorists were killed in the overnight battle. On Sunday afternoon, Israel provided a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to enter the region, and Hamas broke the ceasefire launching a barrage of rockets into Israel.
A Hamas terrorist squad entered Israel through a smuggling tunnel from the Gaza Strip killing two IDF soldiers. Israel continues to call up reservists, as troop mass along the Gaza border for a possible expansion of a ground campaign within the Gaza Strip.
For the second time, Israel has shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) coming from the Gaza Strip on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Israel launched a ground campaign in Gaza last night, and the IDF suffered its first casualty of Operation Protective Edge. At least 20 Palestinians were killed overnight according to Palestinian media sources.
Israel sent ground forces into the Gaza Strip on Thursday evening to find and destroy terror tunnels and destroy Hamas’ infrastructure, Israeli officials said.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency found some 20 rockets during a routine inspection in one of their schools in Gaza, the UN confirmed on Thursday.
Israel accepted a five-hour unilateral UN ceasefire proposal to allow humanitarian relief to enter Gaza. Meanwhile, the IDF thwarted at least 13 terrorists who tried to infiltrate Israel through a tunnel near Kibbutz Sufa, south of the Gaza Strip.
Israelis were awaken early in the morning as a heavy barrage of rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip. At least six rockets were intercepted over Ashkelon and two rockets were intercepted over Kiryat Malachi by the Iron Dome around 8 AM. Overnight, Israel conducted airstrikes on thirty terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip.
Israel restarted its attacks against Hamas Tuesday afternoon, after Israel’s acceptance of a ceasefire was met with over 50 rockets from Hamas.
Israel accepted a Egyptian proposed ceasefire that went into effect at 9 AM, while Hamas’ armed wing rejected the offer completely saying it was “surrender.” If the ceasefire does not hold, Israel vowed to respond in force. Over the seven days of Operation Protective Edge, Israel has struck over 1,500 terrorist related targets in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas launched an unmanned aircraft for the first time from the Gaza Strip which was destroyed near Ashdod as scores of rockets continued to rain down on Israel.
While rockets landed in Tel Aviv and towns near the Lebanon border, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared his nation that Operation Protective Edge could “take time.” Israel continued to build forces on the Gaza border as it warned some residents to leave their homes in preparation of a ground operation.
Hamas is broadcasting threats in Hebrew and threatened Israelis with a ‘return to suicide bombings, stabbings, and other terror attacks,’ according to Palestinian Media Watch.