Israel SitRep: May 3, 2024

Today’s Issue: IDF Announces New Senior Appointments | Fragments of Missile From Iranian Attack Found Near Arad | Members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Cell Indicted in Israeli Military Court | IDF’s 282nd Artillery Regiment Holds Snap Drill Simulating Combat With Hezbollah | Latest FDD Analysis

IDF Announces New Senior Appointments: The IDF on Thursday announced a number of new appointments, stating that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi are promoting “commanders who excelled in combat on the ground and at headquarters” during Operation Iron Swords, the current war in Gaza. Brig. Gen. Avi Bluth will be appointed head of the IDF’s Central Command and promoted to the rank of major general. Brig. Gen. Shlomi Binder will become head of the Aman Intelligence Directorate, replacing Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, who resigned in late April because of his responsibility for the events of October 7. Binder will be promoted to the rank of major general. Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus will be appointed to head the Northern Corps and Maneuver Array and will be promoted to the rank of major general. Goldfus currently heads the 98th Division, which fought for four months in southern Gaza. He made headlines in March for criticizing Israel’s political leaders during a press conference and received a “severe reprimand” from the chief of staff. Brig. Gen. David (Dado) Bar Kalifa will become head of the Manpower Directorate and will be promoted to the rank of major general. Last, Brig. Gen. Aviad Dagan will become head of the Cyber Defense Directorate and will be promoted to the rank of major general.

Fragments of Missile From Iranian Attack Found Near Arad: On Thursday, the IDF announced that soldiers removed the remains of an Iranian surface-to-surface missile in the area of Nahal Ye’elim, near the southern Israeli city of Arad. The missile was intercepted during Iran’s mid-April attack, and the remains were found by hikers. The hazardous materials were removed and IDF troops, led by the Home Front Command’s Southern District, along with firefighters and rescue forces, took the remains away with a crane. The announcement included a reminder to the public that anyone who comes across a “suspicious object” should act according to instructions from the Home Front Command, noting that the remains and fragments of intercepted missiles can be dangerous and that anyone who finds them should report them to the police.

Members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Cell Indicted in Israeli Military Court: Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported on Thursday that the Shin Bet and IDF foiled a plot to carry out “significant attacks” against the IDF in Samaria. Three suspects — Ahmed Abu Bakr, 29, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative; Ibrahim Abu Bakr, 29, also a senior PIJ operative; and Ibadah Abu Bakr, 18 — all from the village of Yabed in Samaria, were arrested in January in a joint Shin Bet-IDF operation. The cell, which was operated by the PIJ headquarters in Lebanon, was planning to carry out attacks against IDF troops. During the cell members’ arrest, bombs were seized that were ready for use. The three have been indicted in a military court. During their interrogation, Ahmed Abu Bakr and Ibrahim Abu Bakr admitted to being in contact with the PIJ headquarters in Lebanon and receiving money, including through cryptocurrency. They experimented with manufacturing remotely detonated bombs to use against the IDF.

IDF’s 282nd Artillery Regiment Holds Snap Drill Simulating Combat With Hezbollah: The IDF on Friday reported on a surprise drill held by the 282nd Artillery Regiment to simulate combat on the Lebanese border. The regiment, which has been fighting for the past three months on the northern border, practiced various scenarios in an exercise held last week. This included the rapid deployment of cannons as part of a simulation of combat scenarios against Hezbollah. The report notes that since the start of the fighting, artillery forces on the northern border have shot thousands of shells at thousands of Hezbollah targets. The report includes footage of operations by the 282nd Artillery Regiment near the northern border.

Latest FDD Analysis:

Today at 8:30am (ET): “FDD Morning Brief,” featuring Jonathan Schanzer and Martin Kramer, FDD Event

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“Turkey Poised to Join South Africa’s Genocide Lawsuit Against Israel at ICJ,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief

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“Lacking Hostage Deal, Blinken Continues to Stall Israeli Ground Operation in Rafah,” FDD Experts, FDD Flash Brief