JSOC troops scrapped plans because of insufficient intelligence; US provides Israel with 'extraordinary amount of drone footage, satellite imagery, communications intercepts and data analysis' ahead of Saturday's hostage rescue 

Osama Hamdan, spokesperson for the terror group based in Beirut says hostages extracted in special op last week appear better than in their abduction; repeats claims three Israeli hostages including one American are killed in the rescue 

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi says only when he can guarantee the military is well prepared, and the border residents can return to their homes safely, he will be ready to step down

Despite being slated for retirement, the Yasur helicopters operated continuously throughout the war, and for the first time since 2006, authorization has been renewed for machine gun fire from helicopter windows

Secretary-General brings report to Security Council saying he is appalled by  dramatic increase and unprecedented scale and intensity of grave violations

Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey finds most Palestinians polled say Hamas did not carry out atrocities on October 7; Hamas were to win parliamentary elections if held and Marwan Bargouti would be elected president 

Shira Elbag whose daughter Liri has been held hostage since October 7 says the girls were forced to clean, cook the food they were now allowed to eat and serve on their captors before they were taken into the tunnels