Three years after the October 7 massacre and the outbreak of the multi-front war, the IDF on Wednesday released an extensive summary of its operations, casualties and lessons learned — revealing the extraordinary scale of the fighting across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen and Yehuda and Shomron.

According to the IDF figures, approximately 100,000 targets have been struck since the beginning of the war, while 970 IDF soldiers have been killed in operational circumstances.

The IDF says it has also dramatically overhauled its readiness for a surprise attack following the failures of October 7, with the number of Israeli Air Force forces maintained at immediate readiness now as much as four times higher than before the war — and up to six times higher in certain units.

In Gaza, the IDF says it succeeded in dismantling much of Hamas’s senior command structure. Since October 7, four heads of Hamas branches, 17 brigade commanders, approximately 60 battalion commanders and roughly 300 company commanders have been eliminated in operations carried out together with the Air Force, Military Intelligence and Operations Directorate.

The Gaza border defense system has meanwhile undergone a major reconstruction.

Following investigations into how the barrier was breached on October 7, the IDF constructed a reinforced physical barrier incorporating new technological capabilities both above and below ground. Security infrastructure in Gaza border communities was also upgraded, including fences, security roads, protected positions, gates, lighting, radar and surveillance systems.

Local security teams and security coordinators received additional weapons, protective equipment, communications systems and drones.

The IDF says hundreds of terror sites, rocket launch pits, weapons depots and other infrastructure have been destroyed. More than 4,000 drilling operations have been conducted since last October’s ceasefire as part of efforts to locate underground infrastructure.

The Air Force also made sweeping changes following its internal October 7 investigations, including new orders for surprise-war scenarios, expanded authority for commanders in the field, changes to intelligence collection and a revised defensive and offensive posture.

The numbers released Wednesday illustrate the enormous geographic scope of the war.

Of approximately 100,000 targets struck since October 7, the IDF says:

• Approximately 65,000 were in the Gaza Strip.
• Approximately 28,000 were in Lebanon and Syria.
• Approximately 4,500 were in Iran.
• Approximately 80 were in Yemen.

Israel, meanwhile, has faced tens of thousands of projectiles fired from multiple fronts.

According to the IDF, approximately 10,200 projectiles were launched from Gaza, roughly 20,000 from Lebanon, approximately 1,200 from Iran, around 50 from Syria and approximately 90 from Yemen.

The human toll within the IDF has been enormous.

The military says 970 soldiers have fallen in operational circumstances during the war. At the same time, more than 70% of soldiers wounded during the fighting have subsequently returned to military service.

In Yehuda and Shomron, the IDF says more than 3,800 weapons have been located and confiscated during the three-year period.

Approximately 45,000 wanted individuals and suspects have been arrested or detained for questioning, including weapons dealers and holders, suspects accused of planning imminent attacks, terror operatives, stone and Molotov cocktail throwers and terror accomplices.

Security forces also confiscated more than NIS 46 million that the IDF says was intended for terrorism.

The release of the figures comes exactly three years after the October 7 massacre, as communities devastated in the attack continue the long process of rebuilding.

The Eshkol Regional Council held its central memorial ceremony for the 259 people from the region murdered in the massacre.

Council head Michal Uziyahu noted that more than 750 babies have been born in Eshkol since October 7, calling the continuing growth of the communities a symbol of hope and rebuilding.

“Three years later, all our hostages have returned home and our communities continue on the road back, but there are no shortcuts,” she said. “Sometimes it seems that דווקא now the pain is greater, and only now are we beginning to process another layer of what happened to us.”

She vowed that the region would continue rebuilding while demanding accountability and meaningful long-term security.

“We will continue this journey together, demanding accountability and the establishment of a commission of inquiry, ensuring that a different reality and meaningful security are created — not merely a feeling of security,” Uziyahu said.

(YWN Israel Desk — Jerusalem)