Operation Swords of Iron: Here is what happened on days 9-10

Sirens were heard in western Galilee on Sunday afternoon close to the Lebanon border in the towns of Nahariya, Rosh Hanikra, Hanita, Gesher HaZiv, Betzet, and Shlomi.

Hamas in Lebanon took responsibility for the rocket fire.

A spokesperson for the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya announced they received eight people who had been wounded by the rocket fire.

Israel Air Force Chief Maj, Gen. Tomer Bar on Sunday said that the primary mission of the air force from this point on would shift to paving the way for ground troops to invade Gaza.

Bar stated, "We are laying the groundwork for the most effective possible ground maneuvers. We are removing as many threats as possible regarding the land and the air."

The German air force has flown out 160 people from Israel over the weekend, the defense ministry said on Sunday, as the world is waiting for the ground attack on Gaza to start.

The ministry said the Bundeswehr was ready for a military evacuation operation if necessary.

A group of US senators will travel to the Middle East to encourage Israel and Saudi Arabia to continue talks on normalizing relations, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Graham said he will go to Saudi Arabia and Israel in "coming days" with a group of senators to urge the US-backed deal to move forward after the Hamas attack on Israel upended negotiations.

"There's a desire by both parties to move forward," on the plan, Graham said.

Threats to northern Israel are increasing on a daily basis as there are small clashes. These clashes are always initiated by Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and Syria and Israel is forced to respond. This comes in the context of Hamas feeling confident after a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister in Qatar.  

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Iran's foreign minister on Saturday in Qatar, where they discussed the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack in Israel "and agreed to continue cooperation" to achieve the group's goals, Hamas said in a statement, according to Reuters. Qatar has hosted Hamas for many years. Hamas carried out a massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7, and has kidnapped 200 people.  

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday the United States is focused on ensuring American citizens can find safe passage out of Gaza into Egypt.

The Israeli military said on Sunday it would continue to allow Gazans to evacuate south ahead of an expected ground assault by its forces on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for unprecedented attacks by Hamas militants eight days ago.

Sullivan, who spoke to CBS's "Face the Nation," also said the US is making sure the broader civilian population leaving Gaza has access to food, water, medicine and shelter.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Israel has no interest in waging war on its northern front, and that if the Lebanese group Hezbollah restrains itself, Israel would respect the situation along the border as it is today.

In response to the ongoing war and mounting challenges faced by both the Israeli Homefront and the IDF, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) has taken swift action by approving a 20 million shekel emergency grant. The funds will be allocated to support affected communities and military needs.

The IFCJ has been actively collaborating with various aid partners, including the IDF Homefront Command, local municipalities, Colel Chabad, community boards, hospitals, Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah, and others, to identify specific areas of need and ensure the proper allocation and distribution of funds.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel again on Monday after visiting the country five days ago, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Sunday for further consultations with Israeli leaders as Israel prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza.

The top American diplomat has embarked on his most extensive trip to date to the Middle East, working with Arab allies to prevent the war from spiraling into a wider conflict. He has just landed in Egypt, his seventh stop since kicking off the regional tour on Thursday.

Israel underwent a calamitous event on October 7, with over a thousand men, women, and children slaughtered and subjected to unbearable cruelties.

In times of calamity, nations call on great people to protect them. Sir Winston Churchill called them “rough men,” those who stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm their countrymen. In times past we would call them heroes, immortalizing their great deeds of battle and holding their names in renown.