Israel-Hamas War SITREP for 28 OCT 2023 - Israel Conducts More Raids into Gaza as World Outrage Grows

Action Report

The information space remains highly problematic, with an extreme amount of disinformation being spread by the proxies of both combatants. Ground fighting continues to be local skirmishes and the neutralization of squad-sized sabotage and reconnaissance teams. It is difficult to ascertain where the truth lies between all the claims in an environment where the ground fighting is somewhere between terrorist and police actions and actual combat between two belligerents. Unless we state, “we were able to independently verify the claim,” or provide three unique sources in the report, the claims should be considered “unverified.” Otherwise, every third sentence would be, “We cannot independently verify the claim.”

Gaza Strip and Southern and Central Israel

Despite the increased intensity of raids into the Gaza Strip and power and communications outages, the number of rocket, mortar, and drone attacks conducted by the al-Qassem Brigade, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other militia and terror groups continued. While the number of rockets fired was close to October 27, they targeted a broader area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the “second stage” of the war against Hamas had started, with some raids into Gaza last at least ten hours. Netanyahu said that the decision was unanimous among the three-person War Council. The declared mission objectives are “the destruction of the military and leadership potential of Hamas and the return of hostages.”

During a briefing, the IDF said that 150 underground targets operated by Hamas had been struck during the evening of October 27 – 28. Minister of Defense of Israel, Yoav Gallant, said, “Last night, the ground in the Gaza Strip shook. We carried out strikes above and below the ground.”

The raids into the Gaza Strip remain more limited than what most people expected, while airstrikes continue to increase in intensity. IDF ground forces received significant support from the Israeli Havy, which provided battery, counterbattery, and suppressive fire. Israeli officials claimed that the head of the Hamas air force, Issam Abu Rukbeh, and the commander of Hamas’s naval forces of the Gaza City Brigade, Rateb Abu Sahibanwas, were killed on the night of October 27 in separate airstrikes.

The militant arm of Hamas, the al-Qassem Brigade, claimed it attacked IDF forces in Beit Hanoun and near Bureij, using antitank weapons to repulse the Israeli attack. Hamas and other militias and terror groups followed the lead of their Iranian backers and claimed that the Israeli attacks were a failure because no territory was occupied. Israel has said for days that they would be conducting raids, which by definition means that there is no operational goal to seize territory.

Israel reported it had no casualties, while a constellation of Palestinian and Iranian sources reported heavy losses. We do not authenticate casualty claims as an editorial policy. Historically, combatants minimize their losses while exaggerating their enemy’s. The framing by Iranian and Palestinian groups is meant to maintain their message of a proxy defeat of the United States and a change in the world order.

Before communications were lost, Hamas continued to tell civilians in the north not to evacuate, calling it an Israeli psychological warfare campaign and promising to protect the civilian population. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields to protect their military assets, framing his claim that if civilians left the north, Hamas would no longer be able to hide behind the indigenous population.

A report in the British news agency The Guardian quoted BBC journalist Rushdi Abualouf about the situation in Gaza City after he was able to find an Internet connection. “Paramedic teams and aid agencies struggled to coordinate rescue and relief efforts while families sought news of relatives…There is panic everywhere, even here in Khan Yunis, where there have been less bombings because people are trying to contact family members in other areas to make sure they are safe, but the phones are switched off. It's total chaos.”

An article in the New York Times, quoting multiple U.S. and Arab officials, said that Hamas holds fuel, food, and drinking water reserves that will last for three to four months. “Officials say Hamas has hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel for vehicles and missiles, caches of ammunition, explosives and materials for its production facilities, warehouses with food, water and medicine…A senior representative of the Lebanese authorities noted that the Hamas group, whose number of fighters is estimated at 35-40 thousand people, has reserves for three to four months of battles, without the need to replenish them.”

United Nations 200 Blue Line Border between Israel and Lebanon and the Golan Heights

Lebanese Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militants conducted 10 to 15 attacks on Israel, similar to October 27. Hezbollah said that one attack wounded IDF soldiers. The IDF did not release any statement, and since border tension started, Hezbollah and the IDF have been aligned in their casualty claims, so this is an unusual departure.

The IDF struck militants near the settlements of Hanita, Zar’it, and Shtula in response to rocket and artillery strikes. Hezbollah attempted to shoot down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile, which was intercepted near the settlement of Tiberias. The IDF also claimed it struck a compound belonging to Hezbollah in response to the antiaircraft missile and a rocket attack into Israel from the same location.

The U.N. Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported an artillery shell struck their base for the second time since October 10. “Spokesperson for UNIFIL, Andrea Tenenti, said, “A shell hit inside the base,” which is located in Naqura. No injuries were reported, and an investigation into who fired the shell was ongoing.

Anti-government Syrian media outlets said that Israel fired on Iranian-back militants near Quneitra in Syria after the Golan Heights was shelled.

The West Bank

In the West Bank, Palestinian organizations continue to struggle to gain traction in their efforts to build support for Hamas, including the popular Lion’s Den Palestinian militia. Calls to protest on October 27 were muted until Israel launched another set of ground attacks into the Gaza Strip, and communications were lost. Likely, these protests, which started late in the evening, were already planned for when Israel started its ground offensive and were not in response to earlier calls by Lions’ Den.

The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, said that Israeli settlers were conducting an “ethnic cleansing,” while other groups declared that settlers are legitimate military targets. Hamas Political Bureau member Musa Dudin said, “It is time for the West Bank to attack the security of the settlements.”

Israeli news source Haaretz reported a group of Israeli settlers killed a Palestinian while he was picking olives near the village of  Nablus. Security video showed a group of men in white shirts approaching Bilal Muhammed Saleh. After a brief confrontation, he was shot in the chest.

The IDF and groups of Palestinians fought ten times, with eight to ten protests across the West Bank. The largest protest was in Tulkarem, where hundreds of Palestinian protesters chanted, “The people want the al-Qassam Brigades.”

Missile, Drone, and Airstrikes on Israel

In the southern and central parts of Israel, rocket attacks targeted Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, Ashkelon, Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Kissufim, Beersheba, Ar'ara BaNegev, Abu Talul, Mamshit, Abu Qrenat, Qasr al-Sir, Erez, Netiv Ha'asara, Kiryat Ono, Holon, Be’eri, Raman Gan, and Ashdod. Rockets hit the settlements and cities of Beersheba, Kiryat Ono, Holon, Raman Gan, Ashdod, and Dimona, with damage reported in Beersheba and Raman Gan. Hamas took responsibility for the rocket strike on Dimona, where Israel’s nuclear reactor and the Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center is located. Three missiles were intercepted, with a fourth striking an unpopulated area. The Iranian-backed Axis of Resistance has threatened for years to target Israeli’s nuclear research center.

Near the border of Gaza, militants in Lebanon fired rockets at Misgav Am and Margaliot.

Middle East Region and Theaterwide

Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq took responsibility for a drone strike on U.S. forces at the al Tanf Garrison in Syria. Two other U.S. bases were reportedly attacked in southern and eastern Syria, but no organization took credit.

After 19 attacks on U.S. bases and troop concentrations since October 12, Iran refused to comply with the US demand not to increase its involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. President of Iran Ibrahim Raisi told Qatari news agency Al Jazeera, “Tehran will not follow U.S. warnings against interfering in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Washington asks us to exercise restraint and not interfere, but at the same time, provides broad support for the Zionist entity. In such a situation, we consider this demand invalid.”

Raisi denied that Iran was involved or directing the groups it backs in the region, saying that decisions are in their own hands. He continued the talking points from Russia and Iran, that there will be a “new” Middle East and the West will not achieve its goals.

The U.S. reportedly targeted Iranian militias in the Badia Al-Mayadin desert with either cruise missiles or airstrikes, marking the second retaliatory strike in the last 72 hours.

Iranian-backed media continued their narrative that Israel exists only as a puppet state and that the United States directs all its actions. This is a common racist trope, claiming that Zionism is a powerful world-controlling conspiracy, professing the unlimited strength of Israeli in its domination of the standing world order while simultaneously claiming it is a puppet state.

On Friday, U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, who was sent to Israel as an advisor, returned from Israel saying the fate of Israel's operation is now entirely in Netanyahu's hands and whatever happens, it won’t be based on U.S. advice or doctrine. We have previously assessed that Prime Minister Netanyahu is directing almost all decisions, guided by the three-person War Council, of which he is a member.

President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, held a government-sponsored pro-Palestinian rally with half a million in attendance. Erdoğan struck a belligerent tone and threatened the West with a holy war. He undermined claims of an independent Palestine while rewriting World War I history and the collapse of the Ottoman-Turk Empire. “Hey, West! I am addressing you! Do you want a war between the cross and the crescent? Then know, this people is alive, this people is standing firm. Who were we in Libya, who we were in Karabakh, we will be the same in the Middle East.”

“We may come to you one night! We love our nation. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for the sake of our nation. Because as we wrote epics in history, so do this people ready to write new epics. A hundred years ago, Palestine was the same for us as Adana. Gaza was a part of our territories that we did not even imagine losing. The West bears the greatest responsibility for the massacre in the Gaza Strip. The massacre in Gaza is entirely the brainchild The West!”

“Their attempts to hide their full support for child killers is a comedy in itself. Everyone knows that Israel is a pawn in the region that can be sacrificed when the day comes. The West likes to rule without getting its hands dirty, sometimes for money, sometimes for evil, and sometimes to hide their crimes. We know them well. Just as no game can last forever, the West's sneaky and dirty tactics have also been exposed.”

“Every country has the right to self-defense, but where is the justice? There is a massacre in Gaza! And we will declare Israel a war criminal; we are already working on this. These ill-mannered people are telling the people of Gaza: ‘Get out of this land.’ When they are asked ‘Where to,’ they say ‘Into the desert.’ And when the wounded are forced to leave, they bomb them. Because all they know is to kill.”

“I reiterate my appeal to the Israeli administration. Don't insult the feelings of the Turkish people. Listen to our request to bring aid to the oppressed. Do something good for yourself and your future children.”

“Hey, Israel! The UN voted, and 120 countries told you to cease fire. Forty countries stood aside, and only 13 or 14 supported you. Israel, you will be alone. Whatever you do.”

Communications Minister of Israel, Shlomo Karai, responding to an announcement by Elon Musk that Starlink terminals would be provided to authorized relief agencies in the Gaza Strip, severed ties with SpaceX-owned Starlink. “Israel will use all means at its disposal to fight this. Hamas will use it for terrorist activities; there is no doubt about it, we know it, and Musk knows it. Hamas is ISIS. Maybe Musk will want to make this conditional on the release of our kidnapped babies, sons, daughters, elders. All of them! Meanwhile, my office is cutting all ties with Starlink.”

Russian Colonel General Ramzan Kadyrov, who signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense in June 2023, said that the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation was sending enough aid to support 20,00 families in Palestine while attempting to attack the conflict in Israel to Ukraine. “At this stage, the amount of assistance for 20 thousand families has already been prepared. We, in turn, will firmly resist the servants of Iblis in Ukraine, forcing NATO and other countries to spend their main military and economic potential on a war with us. We will mercilessly send all the minions of these Satanists straight to hell. And may Allah Almighty help us in our struggle!”

War Crimes and Human Rights

As an editorial policy, we are referring to Hamas fighters as militants and not terrorists. New intelligence indicates the attack on October 7 was conducted by the equivalent of a brigade in size and demonstrated previously unseen asymmetrical warfare tactics that included combined arms that go beyond a terrorist attack. Further, in calling Hamas terrorists, there is less accountability for the command and control structures, which ordered what can be described as an invasion.

The spokesperson for the IDF, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, increased the number of confirmed hostages to 230, which does not include the four hostages released last week in two. He said the number was not final, and investigations into missing persons were still ongoing.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said, “We are ready for an immediate prisoner exchange deal. A deal that includes the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons in exchange for all prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance.”

Netanyahu rejected the deal, saying, “We discussed the proposal to release all hostages in exchange for all prisoners. Discussing details now is counterproductive."

The chief diplomat of the European Union, Josep Borrell, called for an immediate pause in fighting, saying the deaths of "too many civilians" were "contrary to international humanitarian law.” He also called for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for an end to the hostilities. “I once again call for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of the hostages, and the provision of humanitarian assistance in an amount that meets the needs of the population of the Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes.”

The IDF attacks on the Gaza Strip knocked out cellular, Internet, and telephone communications, with multiple aid organizations reporting they had lost all communications. Patel, the main ISP in the Gaza Strip, posted on Facebook, “We regret to announce a complete interruption of all communications and internet services within the Gaza Strip,” adding that the fighting and bombing “caused the destruction of all remaining international routes.” At the time of publication, the Internet was at least partially restored.

President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, called for a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid delivered to the Gaza Strip. “The needs are massive,” he says in televised comments, noting the importance of all aid being delivered. In the last week, 84 trucks have been permitted to enter Gaza compared to a pre-war volume of over 2,800.

Casualties

We no longer track Israeli or Palestinian casualty numbers due to serious questions about the veracity of reports from both combatants.

Rest of World: There were updates on the number of foreign nationals listed as dead, missing, or confirmed as hostages, with 39 nations reporting 249 of their citizens were killed:

• Argentina - 9 dead, 21 unaccounted
• Australia - 1 dead
• Austria - 4 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Azerbaijan - 3 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Belarus - 3 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Belgium – 2 dead
• Brazil - 3 dead
• Cambodia - 1 dead
• Canada - 6 dead, 2 unaccounted
• Chile - 4 dead, 1 unaccounted
• China - 5 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Columbia – 1 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Estonia – 1 dead
• France - 35 dead, 9 hostages
• Germany – 4 dead, 12 hostages
• Honduras – 1 dead
• Hungary – 2 hostages
• India – 2 killed, 4 unaccounted
• Ireland - 1 dead
• Italy – 3 dead, 1 hostage
• Kazakhstan – 2 dead
• Mexico - 2 hostages
• Moldova – 1 dead
• Nepal - 10 dead, 5 hostages
• The Netherlands – 1 dead, 1 hostage
• Paraguay - 2 unaccounted
• Peru - 3 dead, 4 unaccounted
• Philippines - 4 dead, 2 unaccounted
• Poland – 1 dead
• Portugal - 4 dead, 4 unaccounted
• Romania – 4 dead*, 2 hostages
• Russia - 23 dead, 6 hostages
• South Africa – 2 dead
• Spain - 1 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Sri Lanka – 1 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Switzerland – 1 dead
• Tanzania - 2 unaccounted
• Thailand - 33 dead, 18 hostages (decrease)
• Türkiye - 1 dead, 1 unaccounted
• Ukraine - 21 dead, 7 missing
• United Kingdom – 12 dead, 5 unaccounted
• United States - 34 dead, 1 unaccounted, 12 hostages
• Uzbekistan – 3 dead, 4 unaccounted

Israeli-Hamas Politics

Prime Minister Netanyahu held his first press conference since October 7 while continuing to dodge questions about his personal responsibility for the massacres on a day being called Black Sabbath. “After the war, everyone will have to give answers, myself included,” he said, repeating comments he made earlier in the week. “There was an awful debacle.”

“There will not be a stone left unturned,” adding that his focus is on “saving the state.”

When asked if his attempts to overhaul Israeli’s judicial branch, which many saw as an attempt to weaken the balance of power, which would provide near dictatorial powers to him and his party, Netanyahu said the overhaul was “no longer on the agenda.”

Geopolitics

Foreign Ministry of Israel Eli Cohen recalled Israel’s diplomats from Türkiye after President Erdoğan threatened war. “A decision has been made to return Israeli diplomats from Turkey. Relations with this country will be reviewed.”.

And that’s what we know.