IDF forces conducted several operations in the West Bank following the attempt by terrorists to attack a bus in the eastern part of Gush Etzion. Aljazeera (which is hard for me to see since the Israeli government closed them down inside Israel) reports some 9 Palestinians were killed in a series of clashes. It looks like the IDF was searching for both potential terrorists and weapons. Palestinians opened fire on the patrols and the soldiers responded in kind. Then they called in a drone to support the action and about 6 terrorists that had been firing on the IDF units from inside (or on the roof of) a house were killed. Several Palestinian residents were taken into custody for interrogation.
Earlier in the week the IDF decided to release a number of Gazan prisoners (in return for nothing!). The apparent reason was that the detention facilities were overcrowded. I’ve no idea where the released prisoners will go. Civilians keep getting moved in order to allow the IDF to deal with tunnels (another was discovered and destroyed yesterday). The IDF engineering corps has built a paved road on that much discussed ‘Philadelphia’ route. Tunnels under it, leading to Egypt (some large enough to drive a truck through) have been systematically destroyed (despite Egyptian protests).
There has been a report that Yihyah Sinwar was feeling the pressure of the IDF taking more and more of his underground empire. One observer even claimed Sinwar had abandoned the tunnels and was hiding within the Gazan civilian population disguised as a woman. (It’s probably fake news, but does show that both sides can indulge in such fantasies. Yesterday one terror group claimed to have destroyed major targets in Haifa. Haifa residents neither observed any such attack nor suffered any damage.)
Wetherhorn 