Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 309?

An Israel Air Force (IAF) aircraft struck and eliminated a terror cell that was identified by IDF observers as it exited a tunnel shaft in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip, the military said on Sunday. 

In addition, troops of the 98th Division struck in the area from which rockets were launched on Saturday towards the Gaza border community of Kissufim, further attacking a building used by Hamas's rocket array. 

An additional terror cell was eliminated in the Rafah area by troops of the Nahal Brigade in conjunction with the IAF after forces had identified the squad entering a military building in their vicinity. 

The military added that in the past day, jets and aircraft struck some 30 Hamas terror targets throughout Gaza, among which were anti-tank posts, storage facilities, and military buildings. 

The IDF has increased the use of GPS jammers in the area of Eilat, on the Jordanian border, and in the northern area near the Lebanese border, amid the possibility that Hezbollah and Iran would launch precision missiles and unmanned aircraft toward Israel.

Even at the end of Netanyahu's visit to the United States about two weeks ago, due to GPS disruptions, flightradar24—the website that shows passenger plane flight data on a map in real-time—showed that the "Zion Wing" plane, which Prime Minister Netanyahu used, had landed in Beirut.

Last week, it was announced that due to fear of an Iranian response to the assassination of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, disruptions were activated in the navigation applications Waze, Google Maps, and Moovit in central Israel.

The IDF sent out leaflets calling on the civilians in the Aljalaa area in northern Khan Yunis to evacuate, the military said on Sunday. 

The directive follows rocket fire and terrorist activities that were carried out from that area, the IDF added, noting that the military was readying to operate in the area in response.  

As such, the IDF stated civilians should evacuate to the adjusted humanitarian area. 

Explosive devices were hurled at IDF troops operating to the west of Nablus, KAN news reported on Sunday morning. 

מחבלים השליכו מטענים על כוחות צה"ל שפועלים במחנה אלעין ממערב לשכם. הכוחות השיבו בירי ופגעו במחבל | תיעוד פלסטיני של חילופי הירי@ela1949 @migansh5 pic.twitter.com/8LA7C45Xa8

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 11, 2024

The forces shot at the source of the attack, and a hit was detected, according to the report. 

Mahdy Akil Helbawi was arrested in Colombia on Saturday on suspicion, among other things, of "illicit use of natural resources," the funds of which were reportedly used to finance Hezbollah, the Colombian Attorney General's office said on Saturday. 

The horrific injuries inflicted by the Hamas terrorists on the Israeli hostages have now been documented in medical literature, according to a report published for the first time in Maariv on Sunday morning.

Experts at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center for Israel summarized the unfathomable medical findings of the abducted women and children who came to them for treatment after the first hostage release.

In the report, the experts note the clinical characteristics of 26 children and women who were released from Hamas captivity following the Hamas attack on October 7.

Iran has issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) for scheduled gun firing exercise in the airspace over Tehran until August 14, the US Defense Internet NOTAM service reported on Saturday night.

The no flight order covers the OID29 area of Tehran, which is near Iran's Nojeh air base in Hamadan.

The gun firing exercises are to take place from August 11 to August 14, 2024, between 04:30 and 14:30 UTC each day.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to lend his support to Gaza in a call to address the two countries' bilateral ties, the Presidents official X account reported on Saturday night.

President Erdogan said that the relations between Ethiopia and Turkey were becoming stronger, and stressed that Turkey was doing what it could to end tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, the statement added.

Referring to Israel's "genocide in Gaza," President Erdogan said that Ethiopia "supporting the Palestinian cause would contribute to the international community’s efforts for a lasting peace."

"Iran's aerial operations against Israel could last three to four days," said Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Commission, Iran International reported on Saturday night, citing an interview published by 'Iran Watch.'

Ardestani reportedly told Iran Watch that Iran "is certainly prepared for the consequences of such an attack and will be ready for any subsequent developments." He added that the Iranian response would "be carried out by surprise and may even last three to four days."

He told the interviewer that "bloodshed would be carried out" to avenge Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran while attending the inauguration of new Iranian president Pezeshkian.

US President Biden was asked by reporters what his message was to Iran as he left church on Saturday night.

"Don't" was his response.