Israel at war: What happened on days 42-43?

Rocket sirens sounded across northern Israeli border towns on Saturday morning after a barrage of at least 25 rockets was fired from Lebanon, the IDF confirmed.

The Israeli military said it was striking the source of the fire, as well as several Hezbollah terror positions across the border. 

Sirens also sounded in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona later on Saturday. The IDF said it responded to the rocket fire.

The IDF strikes Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon on November 18, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/ALAA AL-MARJANI)

Hezbollah says it shot down Israeli drone

The Iran-backed Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone near the border in the early hours of Saturday.

Lebanese officials said an Israeli airstrike hit a building in an industrial area near the town of Nabatieh, one of the deepest Israeli strikes inside Lebanese territory since fighting resumed last month. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.

In the midst of the ongoing conflict with Gaza, businesses are grappling with an 18% average drop in workforce availability, according to a report published by the Labor Ministry. 

Approximately 760,000 people, constituting nearly one-fifth of the workforce, have been affected by military service, residence in the Gaza periphery, or childcare responsibilities. An additional 46,000 employees, comprising about 1% of the workforce, have faced termination or unpaid leave, with 70% falling into the latter category.

This situation has created a notable workforce gap that stands to impact two of Israel’s most critical industries, the heart and stomach of its economy – hi-tech and agriculture.

Hi-tech: Smooth sailing or turbulence?

There are conflicting opinions regarding how well the Israeli hi-tech industry is doing during the ongoing crisis. Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Israeli Advanced Technology Industries (IATI), several industry leaders weighed in on the situation within the tech industry. Despite the upheaval, they spoke optimistically about the resilience of Israel’s tech sector.

The IDF attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after the terrorist group fired anti-tank missiles toward the northern Israeli kibbutzim of Shumra, Shatula, and Menara bordering Lebanon on Friday.

Four were wounded from the anti-tank missile that fired in Menara, Army Radio reported, with one in serious condition and the other three in light condition.

IDF acted earlier that day in the area of ​​Metula where they identified a drone that crossed from Lebanese territory to Israel.

Israeli forces were on the lookout for a vehicle, which was suspected of carrying explosives, and shot it down.

This is a developing story.

Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said on Friday that "Zionist" hostages were not held in hospitals but were transferred to care centers for treatment due to the seriousness of their condition and to save their lives.

David Cameron, the incoming British Foreign Secretary, will visit Israel next week after speaking on the phone with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Cohen thanked Cameron for the British government's support of Israel in its war against Hamas terrorism.

Israel Police released a video on Friday of the IDF and police forces' efforts to thwart a terrorist attack at a tunnel checkpoint near Jerusalem the previous day.

An IDF soldier from the Erez Battalion identified a suspicious vehicle on Thursday that arrived at the tunnel checkpoint. The soldier stopped the vehicle for inspection and the terror squad inside the vehicle opened fire at the security forces working at the checkpoint.

Israeli forces, which included policemen and Border Guards, reacted quickly and eliminated the terrorists, preventing a much larger attack planned by them.

The footage can be watched below:

Jamal Warraqi was among the first emergency rescuers to reach kibbutz Be'eri after Hamas terrorists rampaged through the community in southern Israel on Oct. 7, and the sight of slaughtered families and children is still seared into his memory.

More than a month later, the volunteer first responder remains visibly shaken as he recounts his rush to Be'eri in an ambulance and the bodies lying in the streets along the way.

Unlike most emergency workers called out that day, Warraqi is a Muslim Israeli Arab. He found his experience of Oct. 7 profoundly distressing, but says it also strengthened his belief that human beings must "stop hatred" and learn to live together.

Warraqi is a volunteer for Zaka, a non-governmental rescue and recovery service. Founded in 1995, Zaka is comprised mostly of ultra-religious Jews committed to ensuring that as much of the human body of every victim is buried in accordance with Jewish law. It also has Christian, Druze and Muslim volunteers.

"I saw families, they were slaughtered, a lot of families," Warraqi told Reuters, standing next to his ambulance.

"I saw a father and mom with three kids, they were tied hands up, hands back ... as they were put on their knees in front of each other, then they got shot in the head."

Israel will not agree to a ceasefire without a mass release of hostages taken by Hamas terrorists into Gaza, National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi said on Friday afternoon.

Hanegbi further said that the decision to send fuel into the Strip was made to "prevent the spread of disease."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene with the political-security cabinet on Saturday night after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, outraged by the decision to send two daily fuel tankers into Gaza, stated that he wanted to make drastic changes to the war cabinet.

The IDF found RPG bombs, mortar bombs, and weapons in a kindergarten in Gaza on Friday, a military spokesman said.

The discovery was made by the IDF's Bislamach Brigade in northern Gaza, which found the bombs and weapons hidden in the location by Hamas. The IDF's Golani Brigade also raided the 'Al-Carmel' elementary school, where the forces found more weapons hidden by Hamas. 

Additionally, Israeli forces from the 12th Battalion identified a terror cell in the area of ​​Gaza City.

Shortly after identification, the terrorists tried to escape from the area. The IDF pursued them on foot also aimed an aircraft at the terror cell, which attacked and eliminated the terrorists.

This is a developing story.