The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Adil Mismah, the Nukhba Company Commander of the Palestinian city Deir al-Balah, was killed in an Israeli Air Force strike. It was stated that Mismah led terrorists into Israeli Kibbutz Kissufim and directed gunmen to attack the kibbutz communities of Nirim and Be’eri. In addition to the strike on Mismah, the IDF destroyed targets in Shejaiya, discovered large quantities of weapons near a mosque, destroyed a launch post and eliminated a terrorist cell that had attacked Israeli forces with mortar shells. They also identified and eliminated a terrorist launching rockets in the Gazan city of Khan Yunis.
The IDF also noted that Hamas has launched hundreds of rocket strikes at targets in Israel since the beginning of the war that followed the attack on Israel on October 7. The IDF mentioned that many of the faulty rocket launches were contributing to an ongoing death toll in Gaza, although these figures were from the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry and have not been independently verified.
The latest strikes come as Israeli Defense Forces plan to reduce the use of artillery and airstrikes and shift focus to more targeted operations against Hamas. The IDF will begin pulling back its forces from Gaza in the coming months.
IDF spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, warned that the fighting in Gaza would continue throughout 2024. He stated that the objectives of the war called for prolonged fighting and that the IDF would continue to plan and prepare for the continuation of 2024. Hagari also revealed that some reservists would return to their families and help ease the burden on the Israeli economy. These adaptations were aimed at ensuring planning and preparation for the year ahead.