Overview

1.   The fighting between the IDF and Hamas and the other terrorist organizations continues in various locations in the Gaza Strip, especially the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. The IDF continues exposing and blowing up tunnels used for terrorist purposes, some of them extending into Israeli territory (so far 45 shafts and between 14 and 16 complete tunnels have been exposed). The terrorist organizations have fired anti-tank rockets, detonate IEDs and fire mortar shells to cause the IDF forces as many losses as possible as a foundation for their myth of “victory.”

2.   Hamas is also trying to infiltrate terrorist squads into Israel through the terrorist tunnels to carry out mass-killing attacks and abductions. One prominent attempt was the infiltration of a large group of terrorist operatives dressed in IDF uniforms. They emerged from a tunnel in the region of Kibbutz Nir Am in the western Negev (on the morning of July 21, 2014). The terrorists clashed with an IDF force, killing four IDF officers and soldiers. Nine terrorist operatives were killed (two apparently managed to return to the Gaza Strip).

3.   In Cairo, activity continues to reach a ceasefire based on the Egyptian initiative. American Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon arrived in Cairo providing diplomatic support for the Egyptian initiative. Hamas still rejects an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, adhering to its original demands, central to which are the opening of the Rafah crossing and the release of prisoners held by Israel.

The Ground Operation

IDF Activity

4.   During the pat 24 hours the IDF’s ground operation in the Gaza Strip continued. Since it began, according to the IDF Spokesman, as of the morning of July 21, 2014 more than 100 terrorist operatives had been killed, and many had been detained and interrogated (See below).

The Fighting in Shejaiya

5.   During the past 24 hours the ground operation focused on the region of Shejaiya, a center of the terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. During the IDF activity to locate terrorist facilities and operatives there have been continual confrontations with terrorist operatives deployed in the Shejaiya neighborhood.

Anti-Tunnel Activity

6.   So far, during the ground operation the IDF has exposed 45 tunnel shafts and between 14 and 16 terrorist tunnels, some of the originating from within mosques.^[1] During the past 24 hours IDF forces prevented an attack from terrorist operatives who used the tunnels to attack IDF forces (IDF Spokesman, July 22, 2014):

1)  On the evening of July 21, 2014, two terrorist operatives emerged from a tunnel in the neighborhoods of Al-Atatra and Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. An IDF force attacked them. Ten terrorist operatives emerged from a tunnel shaft in a mosque. An IDF force shot and killed them. Other operatives who emerged from a tunnel shaft located in a house were also killed.

2)  On the afternoon of July 21, 2014, the IDF exposed two tunnel shafts in the region of Shejaiya which were intended for terrorist attacks inside Israel. There was an exchange of fire during which two terrorist operatives were killed.

3)  On July 21, 2014, three terrorist operatives emerged from a tunnel in the Rafah region. One of them was killed.