IDF Strikes Tulkarem, Russia-Ukraine Drone Attacks

THE WAR NEWSLETTER — OCT 4 2024

Good morning. Today’s update covers the IDF strike on Tulkarem and drone strikes in Russian and Ukraine.

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Today’s updates:

• 🇮🇱 IDF jet strikes Tulkarem

• ⚔️ The new XM7 rifle

• 🇺🇦 Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes

1 - ISRAEL

1 thing to know

Early this morning an IDF fighter jet struck a location in Tulkarem in the West Bank in an attempt to kill a top Hamas commander who was planning an October 7 anniversary attack.

The context 

The strike was targeting a Hamas commander named Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi. The Israeli military reported that Oufi intended to launch a terror attack in honor of the first anniversary of the October 7 massacre. He was also involved in recent terror operations throughout the West Bank and worked to supply weapons to other terrorists.

The airstrike is the deadliest Israeli strike in the West Bank since 2000. 18 other people were killed and several wounded in the strike. The IDF is on high alert as the anniversary of the October 7 attack approaches. 

More from the region

This morning Iraq launched a two-drone attack at a military base in Israel’s northern Golan Heights. One of the drones was shot down but the other hit the base, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding 24 more.

Israel also reported that the ground raids into southern Lebanon have managed to kill more than 250 Hezbollah terrorist operatives. The IDF still intends for these raids to end as quickly as possible. The ground raids have mostly met with anti-tank missile and mortar fire.

Yesterday, the IDF spotted Hezbollah terrorists in buildings and tunnel shafts in a Lebanese village and quickly dropped paratroopers who managed to kill 15 of the terrorists.

In the news

• The strike on Tulkarem

• The drone attack that killed 2 soldiers

• IDF has killed more than 250 Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon

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TECH SPOTLIGHT: THE XM7 RIFLE

After decades of using the M4 carbine rifle, the US army began looking for a replacement in 2020, with research, testing, and production expected to take the next few years.  They decided to move to a 6.8mm caliber over the 5.56mm already in use with the M4, M16, and M249, because of its better performance, accuracy, range, and lethality against body armor.

In 2022, the army awarded a contract to SIG Sauer for the manufacture of two new weapons, the XM7 rifle and the XM250 automatic rifle.  The XM7 will eventually replace the M4 carbine rifle, and XM250 will replace the M249.

What it’s used for

The Army officially fielded the new weapons in early 2024, and soldiers from 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division accepted the new rifles in April.  According to budget requests, the military has long term plans to purchase 111,428 XM7 rifles, 13,334 XM250 automatic rifles.

Read a detailed overview here.

2 - UKRAINE

1 thing to know

Russian and Ukraine again both traded drone strikes overnight. Most of the drones were intercepted on both sides.

The context 

Drone strikes on both countries continue regularly, with last night Russia over 100 drones at 15 different regions, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Ukrainian air defenses shot down at least 78 of them, and so far, injuries and losses are unknown.

Ukraine also launched over 100 drones at at least four regions, including the Kursk region, with at least 113 of the drones being downed by Russian air defenses. The only damage reported so far from the strikes were small fires at two Russian oil depots, which were put out quickly.

More from the region

The capture of the Ukrainian town of Vuhledar has been confirmed, after two year of failed attacks, Russian forces finally managed to take the town after Ukraine withdrew to avoid encirclement.

The impact of the loss of Vuhledar for the Ukrainian war effort is not yet fully known, but as David Handelman, an Israeli military analyst, put it, "In principal, any withdrawal worsens any situation." Without Vuhledar though, pressure on defenders in Pokrovsk will now be increased, though there still remains some obstacles for the Russian forces before they would reach Pokrovsk.

In the news

• Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes

• Fires at oil depots

• Russian capture of Vuhledar

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