Israel At War Friday Dec 15

 Israel at war day 70

2:00pm

- The 2nd largest container ship company in the world “Maersk” has suspended all operations in the Red Sea (Suez Canal) effectively immediately after Houthi terrorists struck one of Maersk’s ships.

- In an attempt to ambush IDF troops, Hamas terrorists connected dolls to speakers playing crying sounds and set them up in an area rigged with explosives. The dolls and children's backpacks were intentionally placed near a tunnel shaft connecting to a large tunnel network that extends under nearby civilian areas including a school and a medical clinic.

IDF forces conducted thorough searches of the area and exposed the ambush as well as Hamas intelligence and anti-tank positions in the area.

- 3 more soldiers killed in Gaza  bringing the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive  to 119.

Tomer Shlomo Myara, 28, from Netanya.

Shay Uriel Pizem 23 Kibbutz Hanatziv

Oz Shmuel Aradi,19 from Kibbutz Chatzor

- The Bodies of 3 hostages recovered by IDF,  they were killed in captivity  by Hamas 

Remains of soldiers Nik Beizer and Ron Sherman and civilian Elia Toledano returned to Israel

- Several rockets fired from Gaza are intercepted in the Yerushalayim area, one rocket fell in a open area at Beit Shemesh 

- Minister Benny Gantz on Friday warned that Israel would be forced to push the Hezbollah terror group away from the Lebanese border if the international community could not do so through diplomatic means.

- 13 rockets fired from Lebanon IDF destroys Hezbollah military installation that was used to fire rockets at Israel 

- The US wants  Israel to end the war “as soon as possible, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan pressed Israel on moving away from its ferocious military campaign and instead focusing more on pinpoint operations. Sullivan said the Biden administration wants the IDF  to wrap up the current phase of “high intensity” fighting in Gaza within weeks, Israeli leaders vow that the IDF would push ahead with the military offensive in the Gaza Strip until the terror group’s defeat