Israel At War Motzei Shabbos Dec 7

 Israel at war day 428

- Amit Segal reports IDF forces advanced beyond the fence in the Golan into the buffer zone to improve defensive lines. There are forces in the Golan on a scale not seen in many years.

- IDF moves into Syrian buffer zone. The IDF has launched a limited ground operation in the border buffer zone in the Quneitra area of Syria in order to strengthen the defense of the border.

- Damascus falls

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flees Damascus as rebels move into country’s capital

- Syrian Presidential Plane Disappears After Altitude Drop An IL-76 aircraft, which reportedly took off from Damascus International Airport, disappeared from radar after losing altitude near Homs, Syria. There are unverified reports suggesting that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad might have been on board. Speculation includes possibilities of a crash or an emergency landing, though the exact circumstances and the presence of Assad remain unconfirmed.

-The Syrian rebels officially declare: We have established a temporary transitional government. 

The Syrian Prime Minister said that he is ready to cooperate with the rebels and the new government that will be elected to carry out the transfer of power in a smooth manner.

-Another IDF soldier killed in Gaza  bringing death toll to 283. Avraham ben Pinchas HYD ,24, from the town of Charsa in the wet bank

- Hamas released a propaganda video showing signs of life from hostage Matan Zangauker, 25.

The three-and-a-half-minute-long video is not dated, though Zangauker states that he has been held for over 420 days, indicating it was filmed recently. In the clip, Zangauker identifies himself and calls on the Israeli public to continue protests in support of a deal with Hamas.

- A senior Israeli security official to Yinon Magal: "The fall of the Shiite Axis is very good news for Israel. On the day that Hezbollah accepted the ceasefire from a position of weakness, the rebels in Syria understood the meaning and started a war against the Assad regime."

-Syria’s rebel forces sat they had seized the regions of Quneitra and Daraa near the border with Israel, as the Israel Defense Forces vowed a strong response in the event that they “turn in our direction.” The Israeli military said Saturday evening that it was helping United Nations forces on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights repel an attack by gunmen, near the town of Hader, close to the Israeli border.

- Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany says insurgent forces have “fully liberated” Syria’s central city of Homs. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents have described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods.

- Hezbollah has withdrawn from the Syrian city of Qusayr along the border with Lebanon shortly, before rebel forces seized it, The city had been a key holding for Hezbollah, which relies on a nearby crossing to smuggle Iranian weapons into Lebanon and fighters in and out of Syria, at least 150 armored vehicles carrying hundreds of Hezbollah fighters left Qusayr in phases. Some reports say, Israel attacked a convoy.