Operation Swords of Iron: What happened on Day 13?

A US Navy warship traveling near Yemen intercepted multiple projectiles, a US official told Reuters on Thursday. The missiles, according to Israeli media citing the Pentagon, were launched at Israel.

Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there were no injuries and a number of projectiles, including drones, were brought down near the destroyer USS Carney.

Families of Israelis who were either murdered or abducted during the Hamas Massacre in Israel’s South as well as survivors, will embark on a number of delegations around the world, according to a government statement on Thursday.

This initiative is a collaboration between the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and the AMI initiative. “Their mission is to share the Israeli narrative on a global stage, particularly emphasizing their personal stories,” the statement said. “The delegations will be presenting in parliaments, engaging with state officials, collaborating with leading local media outlets, and interacting with Jewish communities abroad.”

Each delegation will consist of approximately four survivors and family members of those affected. Additionally, one or two representatives from each of the participating entities will join them. 

The delegations will embark on Saturday night to London and later next week to Italy and the US. 

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Israel's south on Thursday and met with soldiers serving on the Gaza border. 

"We are first and foremost focused on...defeating Hamas," Gallant said. "I have been leading soldiers into battles for 45 years. I am responsible for security. I was responsible for it these last two weeks- even during difficult times, I am responsible for bringing [Israel] to victory."

This is a developing story.

At least 3,785 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in Israeli strikes since Oct.7, the health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday.

The Commander of the Hamas-led National Security Forces in Gaza Jehad Mheisen was killed by an Israeli airstrike, according to Palestinian reports on Thursday.

Mheisen was killed along with his family members in the attack on his home in the neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City.

The IDF has not confirmed his death. 

Additionally, IDF forces killed Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and the first woman in the political bureau of Hamas, according to Hamas radio, Israeli media reported Thursday. 

Shanti, 68, was a founder of Hamas's women's movement and was married to Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, a Hamas founder and leader, whom the Israeli Air Force killed by Hellfire missile in April 2004. 

Since the beginning of Israel's war against Hamas, following the terror organization's October 7 attacks, Israeli security forces, and in particular the Israeli Air Force, have targeted Hamas leaders for elimination. 

Satellite view of smoke over heavily damaged areas from Israeli strikes in the Palestinian city of Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip, October 15, 2023 in this handout image Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS

IDF's successful target campaign

The IDF successfully targeted Osama al-Mazini, a senior member of Hamas's political bureau and the head of Hamas's Shura Council, on Monday. The terrorist organization's national security commander of Gaza's southern district was also killed in a targeted attack on Sunday evening, and the IDF announced on Monday afternoon that it had successfully assassinated its head of General Intelligence in Khan Yunis. 

An Israeli airstrike on Tuesday afternoon killed its Central Gaza Brigade head, Hamas admitted, and up to 14 members of the family of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, including his brother and nephew were also killed in an airstrike on Tuesday. 

The strategic targeting of Hamas leaders, government and military installations is part of Israel's response to the devastating attacks that saw Hamas terrorists infiltrate southern Israel, attacking border communities and IDF bases, killing over 1,400 Israelis, and kidnapping some 200 others and taking them hostage in Gaza. 

Anti-tank missile fire was reported a short time ago in the Manara area on the Lebanese border, the IDF said. 

Due to the incident, the Upper Galilee Regional Council has told residents to stay indoors in protected areas.

The IDF is responding with attacks against the areas from which the fire was launched. 

Machinery to repair roads has been sent through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip in preparation for the delivery of some of the aid stockpiled in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, two security sources said on Thursday.

Rafah is the only crossing not controlled by Israel but has been out of operation since the first days of the conflict in Gaza following Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side of the border.

The United States and Egypt have been pushing for a deal with Israel to get aid delivered to Gaza, and the White House said on Wednesday that it had been agreed for up to 20 trucks to pass through, with hopes for more trucks later.

Aid sent to Gaza

Most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents depended on aid before the current conflict started on Oct. 7, about 100 trucks daily were providing humanitarian relief to the enclave, according to the United Nations.

More than 100 trucks were waiting close to the crossing on the Egyptian side on Thursday, though it was not expected that aid would enter before Friday, Egyptian security sources said. More aid is being held in the Egyptian city of Al Arish, about 45 km (28 miles) from Rafah.

Egyptian truck drivers pray in front of the Rafah crossing, as trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians await a decision for it to open to enter Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt October 18, 2023. (credit: STRINGER/ REUTERS)

Western governments have been negotiating for the evacuation of foreign passport holders from Gaza, something Egyptian officials have conditioned on aid getting in. Details of potential evacuations are unclear.

On Wednesday, after talks with US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel would not block aid for civilians entering Gaza from Egypt, as long as those supplies do not reach Hamas.

It said it would continue a blockade of humanitarian aid from Israel into Gaza until hostages held by Hamas were returned.

Israel's bombardment and siege of Gaza is in retaliation for a devastating Hamas incursion into Israel on Oct. 7 during which 1,400 people were killed and hostages were taken.

Israel and Egypt have upheld a blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, tightly controlling the movement goods and people.

While the conflict between Israeli forces and the Hamas terrorist organization rages on, the fourth frontier of warfare, the cyber frontier, has emerged as a dominant and active battleground. In a conversation with the Jerusalem Post, Dr. Amir Gefen, cyber-safety researcher at Gordon Academic College, highlighted several critical strategies and advice for defending against the growing threats in cyberspace.

The foremost challenge posed by this new form of warfare is that, unlike traditional conflicts, there is no clear distinction between soldiers on the frontlines and civilians back at home. “From the cyber perspective, we are all on the frontline,” Gefen said, noting that while there are state-level threats that governments concern themselves with, “There are threats that target families and households — the people at home and their children.”

Limit children’s exposure to psychological warfare

Gefen used the term "cyber cancer" to describe the harmful impact of digital threats on individuals, particularly children. Exposure to graphic content, whether real or fabricated, is a common ploy implemented in psychological cyber warfare, causing anxiety, depression, and traumatic feelings.

To combat this menace, he emphasizes the need for parents to be vigilant, as the proliferation of smartphones among children in Israel, even at a very young age, presents a significant concern. Parents are urged to be aware of the content their children are exposed to and, where possible, remove applications that continually display distressing videos — especially during times of increased tension.

Dr. Amir Gefen, cyber-safety researcher at Gordon Academic College (credit: Einat Mayo)

“The hope is that adults have the resilience and ethical resources to deal with it, though that’s not always the case,” he said. “But I think that the real problem is that there are young children with smartphones — we’re talking about first grade, second grade — with full access to TikTok and WhatsApp, et cetera. And they are being exposed to that, and their parents may not be aware of what they're seeing. Those children are developing post traumatic syndromes based on that.”

Hamas is in your WhatsApp groups

Hamas and other nefarious actors actively gather intelligence through various means, including monitoring WhatsApp groups and intercepting messages. “We should assume that at this point the enemy holds a large number of cell phones that they’ve taken from [dead] soldiers or from civilians who are being held captive, and are using those to monitor everything that’s happening in our WhatsApp groups,” Gefen warned. “We need to take 30 seconds to think before we post anything, and keep in mind that the enemy is exposed to this information.”

“So specifically, if you're talking about soldiers — wherever they are located, when they are going to get to the Gaza Strip, what equipment they’re missing — we need to take into account that everything that we write there could endanger their lives,” he said.

Secure your devices

Gefen pointed out that many of the devices that we use daily could lead to dangerous information leaks, offering the example of home security cameras.

“In many homes, there are security cameras in order to protect against pests and things like that. Most of those cameras come with a default password, which is usually 1234, or 1111. And most people don't take the time to change that password,” he explained. “The result is that the enemy can have eyes on our streets, on our neighborhoods, or on our facilities. But with only two minutes of attention, you can just go into your camera settings, and change your password.”

On that note, Gefen encouraged the public to enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts, including bank accounts, email accounts, and healthcare accounts. This additional layer of security helps prevent unauthorized access. Crucially, he advises against sharing the six-digit codes sent via SMS with anyone.

Don’t click phishy links
Stressing that phishing attacks are on the rise, Gefen advised people to avoid clicking on links sent via email or text. Instead, it's safer to access websites from bookmarked links in your browser. This practice ensures that you're visiting legitimate sites and not falling victim to phishing scams.

He also recommended downloading applications only from legitimate sources, such as the Apple App Store or Google Play. Additionally, keeping your operating system up-to-date is essential, as these updates often include critical security patches.

Who to call if you get cyber attacked

If you are the victim of a cyber attack, Gefen recommended the first course of action be to contact the Israel National Cyber Directorate hotline by dialing 119. 

“The good news is that while there is a long list of severe cyber threats,” Gefen said, “we can protect against them with a little bit of awareness and a little bit of activity.” 

Anti-tank missile fire was reported a short time ago in the Manara area on the Lebanese border, the IDF said. 

Due to the incident, the Upper Galilee Regional Council has told residents to stay indoors in protected areas.

Opposition leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid addressed foreign journalists on Thursday in the wake of controversy over how media reported an explosion at the Al-Ahli Hospital on Tuesday.

Media initially shared a Hamas account that stated the explosion was caused by an Israeli airstrike. Since then, US and Israeli intelligence have both determined that the damage was caused by an errant rocket fired from within Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

"When you know that there is one side that is lying and one side that is making every effort to check the facts, the minimum that can be demanded is that you do not give an unlimited platform to lies," Lapid said. "Be suspicious, be careful, give us a fair chance and reasonable time to check the facts."