Israel at war: What happened on day 37?

Hamas's original plan for October 7 went beyond just a massacre in the Gaza border area and taking hundreds of hostages, but to continue their assault up to the border with the West Bank, The Washington Post reported Sunday, citing Western and Middle Eastern security officials briefed on collected evidence.

This information was obtained from numerous maps, notes, supplies, and other written instructions found among the bodies of dead Hamas terrorists in the Gaza border area, as well as from interrogations of Hamas captives. 

Soldiers of the "Harel" Reserve Division raided the El-Karameh area in the Gaza Strip, destroying enemy infrastructure and terror facilities, the IDF said on Sunday.

The El-Karameh area is between the Gazan cities of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in the north of the Strip. It contains locations such as the Indonesian Hospital.

Among the infrastructure that the IDF destroyed were long-range rocket launchers, anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launch positions, tunnel openings, and Hamas observation posts. 

"From the fighters of the War of Independence in '48 to the fighters of today... now it is our turn." Brigadier General Itamar Michaeli said as the forces embarked on the raid on the El-Karameh area. "We have a great privilege to join the ranks of those guarding the walls, to defend our families and our beloved country. We will return to our homes only after completing our mission, and the reality of life for the residents of the south will change."

Due to security concerns, residents of the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona were asked to remain in protected spaces until further notice, the local authority stated on Sunday.

Terrorists launched anti-tank guided missiles at the Dovev area, resulting in six civilian injuries, including one critically injured, the IDF announced on Sunday.

The injured are all employees of the Israel Electric Corporation.

Dovev is a community in northern Israel, roughly half a kilometer from the border with Lebanon.

The IDF responded with artillery fire targeting the sources of the attack.

The Israeli military also targeted a terror cell that was planning to launch rockets from a civilian area inside of Lebanon.

Overnight, an IDF drone targeted a separate terrorist cell that had been attempting to launch ATGMs at the Metulla area in northern Israel.  

 The IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police arrested 15 wanted individuals, including six affiliated with Hamas, in an overnight operation in the West Bank, the IDF said on Sunday.

The joint operation by the Israeli security forces, along with the Yamam elite counterterrorism police unit, eliminated the terrorist, Montaser Muhammad Amin Mustafa Saif, 34 in the Palestinian town of Burka.

The IDF notes that Saif had previously spent 17 years in prison for involvement in terrorist activity.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah stated on their Telegram channel on Sunday morning that Saif had died from wounds inflicted by "occupation bullets," but made no mention of prior or current terrorist activities he may have been involved in.

Fleeing with an explosive

Saif was reportedly shot as he attempted to flee while carrying an explosive device. More explosive devices, located in his vehicle and on his roof were subsequently discovered and destroyed.

Explosive devices recovered from an apprehended individual in the West Bank. November 11, 2023. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Another three terrorists were arrested in Burka.

These latter individuals were part of a terror cell responsible for several attacks including an incident last month when an explosive device injured a soldier. Two "Carlo" submachine guns were in their possession during the operation.

Further, in Jenin, terrorists engaged Israeli security forces with gunfire. The Israeli troops returned fire and eliminated one of the terrorists. Another suspect was arrested as the Israeli security personnel were leaving. Three armed explosive devices were found in the suspect's possession.

The IDF states that, since October 7, about 1,570 arrests of wanted individuals have been made in the West Bank.  Of these individuals, approximately 950 were affiliated with Hamas.

This figure is about 250 additional arrests, including 150 Hamas-affiliated individuals, since the fourth of this month.

The evacuation of Russian nationals from the Gaza Strip has begun and more than 60 Russian passport holders have crossed into Egypt, Russia's emergencies ministry said on Sunday.

A limited evacuation, which began on Nov. 1, of foreign passport holders and Palestinians needing urgent medical treatment, to Egypt has faced difficulties. It was paused several times in the past week due to bombardments that aid staff said hit or targeted medical convoys.

"At the moment, citizens of the Russian Federation who wish to leave the conflict zone are crossing the checkpoint," Russia's emergencies ministry said.

"Russian Emergency Situations Ministry specialists are providing medical and psychological assistance to the people on site, and providing them with food and water," it said.

It said that Russian citizens will be transferred to Cairo and will be assisted with necessary paperwork.

The ministry didn't say, how many Russian citizens are expected to leave Gaza. According to Russian media, some 1,000 Russians and nationals from the republics of the former Soviet Union have expressed a wish to leave Gaza.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi took the skies on Sunday in a flight over the Gaza Strip and addressed the troops below.

Speaking over the radio with the commander of the Golani Brigade on the ground below, Halevi stated, "Tell all your people - you are doing an important job, everyone is behind you, the entire IDF is working for you to advance - until victory!"

Halevi was joined on his flight by the commander of the Air Force and the commander of the 100th Squadron.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi takes to the skies over Gaza, November 12, 2023 (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Fierce battles continue on ground in Gaza 

A large IDF force conducted operations in the Shati refugee camp outside of Gaza City overnight, successfully eliminating terrorists across multiple battles, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced on Sunday morning.

In one of the battles, soldiers from the Givati Brigade identified numerous civilians inside of a building in the area. The IDF troops subsequently secured a corridor so the Gazans could safely evacuate.

During the evacuation, the Givati soldiers came under fire from terrorists. The Israeli troops responded with gun and tank fire, eliminating the Hamas terrorists.

The IDF is facilitating the passage of civilians from the Shifa, Rantisi and Nasser hospitals in northern Gaza, the IDF said on Sunday.

Additionally, the Israeli military opened another corridor to let the civilian population evacuate to the Strip's south from these hospitals.

The IDF also stated that in recent days, a senior officer Israel’s Coordination and Liaison Administration to Gaza presented the manager of the Shifa Hospital with various evacuation plans across a number of separate phone calls.

Israel has signed a deal to sell the David's Sling anti-missile system to Finland in a deal worth 317 million euros ($339 million), the Israeli defense ministry said on Sunday.

The David's Sling system is jointly developed by the Israel Missile Defense Organization within the ministry, the United States Missile Defense Agency, and primary contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

The system intercepts ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones.