The Israel Defense Forces reported that the home of the attacker who opened fire on civilians at Hamri intersection was demolished, according to a statement circulated on a military intelligence channel. The assailant was identified as Hassan Katnani, a resident of the Askar refugee camp in the Nablus area of the West Bank.
In a series of night operations, the Israel Defense Forces, along with Israeli intelligence and special units, detained 23 suspected militants in Palestinian areas outside the Gaza Strip. Among those detained were four individuals believed to support Hamas. Authorities recovered 12,000 shekels, improvised weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment during the raids. Clashes occurred when law enforcement officers encountered Palestinians who used improvised explosive devices and Molotov cocktails during the operation.
Overall, approximately 1,030 people suspected of terrorism had been detained in the West Bank, with around 700 of them identified as Hamas members, according to security officials and subsequent reports. Information from the IDF indicated an ongoing emphasis on counterterrorism actions in areas outside Gaza.
Earlier, the IDF announced a widening of ground operations inside the Gaza Strip, signaling a broader campaign in response to the crisis. The Middle East situation intensified after thousands of Hamas militants crossed into Israel from Gaza on October 7, with more than 200 hostages reported as being held by the militants.
Hamas launched thousands of rockets today, and the group announced the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In parallel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the country is at war, outlining a multi-pronged approach aimed at neutralizing Hamas forces and restoring security for Israeli citizens.
The IDF operation, named Iron Swords, outlined the objective of dismantling Hamas within the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Air Force targeted hundreds of Hamas sites, while Israel’s National Security Council voted to cut off essential supplies to Gaza, including water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel, as part of broader efforts to pressure militant networks and limit operational capabilities.
On October 13, the United Nations warned that up to 1.1 million Palestinians should be evacuated to southern Gaza within 24 hours prior to potential ground operations, highlighting the scale of displacement risk in the region and the intense humanitarian considerations involved in any military escalation.
Ben-Gvir, who had previously served as Israel’s national security minister, argued that sending only large quantities of explosives or even substantial humanitarian aid would not suffice to secure the release of civilian hostages. He emphasized the need for stronger measures to address the hostage crisis and to degrade Hamas’s ability to harm Israeli civilians, reflecting his stance within the security policymaking framework in Jerusalem (security briefing sources).