Dozens of IDF battalions have been placed on high alert ahead of the High Holidays and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s upcoming speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, in preparation for a possible surge in terror attacks throughout the week.
Following a multi-front situation assessment, combat forces have been reinforced on land, at sea, in the air, and across all units throughout the country.
IDF Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth has ordered extra troops to secure shopping centers, roads, junctions, bus stops, hitchhiking posts, and communities.
“The many challenges before us, the fighting in Gaza City, defense in the north, and the constant battle against terrorism in Judea and Samaria, have recently converged with political statements, the holidays, and the olive harvest, foreign incitement, and lone-wolf inspiration. All these are not reasons for optimism, but I am full of hope,” Bluth said at a ceremony marking 35 years of the West Bank Yamam unit.
Ongoing IDF operations in Gaza
In Gaza, the IDF continues air and ground strikes, including with armored engineering vehicles. Despite Hamas’s attempts to stop residents from leaving Gaza City, thousands more have moved south to the humanitarian zone.
The IDF's Southern Command has estimated that more than 560,000 Palestinians have already fled the city, creating a critical mass unlikely to return. This has heightened pressure on Hamas, which defense officials say has begun executing Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel.
According to officials, Hamas is trying to project control and deter cooperation with Israel, while also preventing civilians from moving south. In recent days, reports revealed that Hamas forced doctors and senior officials who attempted to flee back into Gaza.