Israel-Hamas war day 333: What happened in Gaza and Lebanon?

The car bomb which detonated in the West Bank on Monday contained 40 kilos of explosives, Army Radio reported on Tuesday. 

The IDF announced on Tuesday it had mapped out the West Bank home of the terrorist responsible for the Sunday terror attack near Tarqumiyah in the West Bank.

IDF troops unearthed and destroyed an underground attack tunnel route that ran for over a kilometer and contained a transportation rail in the Beit Lahia area in the northern Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday.

Palestinian outlets reported that Rashad Abu Sakhila, star of the series Fist of the Free who played a Hamas leader invading Israeli outposts in the Gaza Envelope, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Jabaliya today.

The series Qabadat Al-Ahrar ("Fist of the Free” or “Freemen Fist”) was produced by Hamas’s Department of Artistic Production and Youth Office, was seen by many as a sort of prelude or teaser to the October 7 massacre, as it revolved around a successful plan of Hamas’s militia to infiltrate Israeli posts and towns in the Gaza envelope and murder and kidnap Israelis. The program was aired on Hamas’s outlet “Al-Aqsa” during Ramadan of 2022, only one year ahead of the time in which Hamas initially intended to carry out the massacre, according to different reports.

Fist of the Free was acclaimed by none other than Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar himself. In an event dedicated to the launch of the series back in 2022, Sinwar said about the show:

The United Kingdom's Monday decision to partially suspend arms export licenses to Israel was criticized by leading British Jews as counter-productive to ending the conflict and encouraging to Hamas.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said on social media late Monday that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development's Office's suspension of almost 30 of the around 350 arms licenses to Israel "beggars belief."

The decision comes "at a time when Israel is fighting a war for its very survival on seven fronts forced upon it on the 7th October, and at the very moment when six hostages murdered in cold blood by cruel terrorists were being buried by their families," said Mirvis, referencing the burials of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Ori Danino, who had been executed by Hamas after eleven months of captivity.

The World Health Organization in Gaza said on Tuesday that it is ahead of its targets for polio vaccinations in Gaza on day three of the mass campaign.

Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian territories, told reporters that it had vaccinated over 161,000 children under 10 in the central area in the first two days of its campaign versus a projected 150,000.

"Up until now, things are going well," he said. "These humanitarian pauses, up until now, they work. We still have ten days to go."

The IDF announced on Tuesday that, on Sunday, it had mapped out the West Bank home of the terrorist responsible for the attack near Tarqumiyah that day.

The mapping of the home was conducted in preparation for its demolition.

The Sunday attack claimed the lives of Ch.-Insp. Arik Ben Eliyahu, Senior-NCO Hadas Branch, and Adv.-St.-Sgt.-Maj. Roni Shakuri.

Hamas has managed to regain some of its capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip, according to a Monday Channel 12 report, citing a security source. 

The report specified that Hamas had enlisted some 3,000 new operatives into its ranks in that area of Gaza. 

Additionally, the terror group provided them with weapons, ammunition, and payment for carrying out terrorist activities.

A Walla investigational report published on Tuesday revealed that the IDF’s Gaza Division, led by Brig.-Gen. Avi Rosenfeld had no prior warning of the October 7 Hamas attack, and despite criticism, investigations show Rosenfeld's decisions helped prevent greater disasters.

Nevertheless, questions remain about the IDF’s preparedness for such a large-scale assault.

IDF Brig.-Gen. Avi Rosenfeld commanded the Gaza Division and was in the war room in Kibbutz Re'im at 6:29 a.m. on October 7 when Hamas Nuhkba terrorists penetrated Israel's fences and stormed the bordering communities.

Major-General Tamir Yadai, the head of the IDF's Ground Forces Command, is stepping down from his position for personal reasons, Walla reported on Tuesday.

Yadai informed Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi of his intention to resign in the coming weeks. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has approved the request.

The IDF's General Staff has been on high alert recently due to the ongoing war, discussions about the prisoner exchange deal, and other anticipated changes within the General Staff.