ISRAEL AT WAR!!!

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Israel Update: Operation Northern Arrows
September 24, 2024


Israeli Airstrikes Hit 1,600 Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon in 24 Hours

In the last 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force has launched a large-scale offensive, striking more than 1,600 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. This operation, dubbed “Operation Northern Arrows,” forms part of Israel’s ongoing military response to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israeli territory.



Among the targets hit was a Hezbollah terror cell responsible for launching 20 rockets in multiple barrages aimed at northern Israel, specifically the Afula and HaAmakim regions. The rocket launchers used in these attacks were also destroyed by Israeli forces, according to military reports.

In addition to the airstrikes, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) artillery and tanks targeted further Hezbollah positions in the southern Lebanese towns of Ayta ash Shab and Ramyeh. These actions followed a previous round of airstrikes on Monday, where Israeli fighter jets targeted Hezbollah’s rocket launchers, command posts, and structures used to store weapons, including civilian residences.



The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the airstrikes resulted in 492 deaths and 1,645 injuries. However, the report did not differentiate between combatants and civilians. As the conflict escalates, both sides have ramped up attacks, with Hezbollah continuing to launch rocket fire into northern Israel.



Hezbollah Fires Over 65 Rockets into Northern Israel Amid Ongoing Conflict

Hezbollah continued its barrage of rocket attacks into northern Israel on Tuesday morning, firing over 65 rockets into Israeli territory. Sirens were heard in various cities, including Nahariya, Haifa, and multiple towns in the Galilee and HaAmakim regions, signaling the ongoing hostilities.



Although several rockets fell into the sea, avoiding casualties or damage, others caused more serious disruption. A 58-year-old woman in the Druze village of Yarka was lightly injured by shrapnel and taken to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. In the town of Tamra, shrapnel from the rocket strikes damaged a supermarket, and several fires broke out in the Kiryat Shmona area, including at municipal warehouses. The border town has been continuously targeted over the past year.

Since the escalation on October 8, Hezbollah has fired more than 8,800 rockets, missiles, and drones at Israel. This sustained assault has forced over a million Israelis to seek refuge in bomb shelters, with over 60,000 evacuated from northern communities. Israeli forces have responded by intensifying airstrikes and shelling Hezbollah positions, aiming to disrupt the militant group’s operations.



In response to the situation, Israel’s government declared a “special emergency situation” nationwide, granting authorities additional powers to manage civilian safety. This emergency status will remain in place for 48 hours, with the possibility of an extension.



IDF Releases Evidence of Hezbollah Using Civilian Homes to Store Rockets

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released video and photographic evidence on Monday night showing Hezbollah using civilian homes in southern Lebanon to store rockets and other munitions. The IDF shared images of a long-range missile hidden inside the attic of a house in the village of Houmine al-Tahta, equipped with a hydraulic launch system.

According to IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the missile was prepared for launch through an opening in the roof, while a Lebanese family lived below, effectively being used as human shields. “This is an immediate and real threat to Israeli civilians, and we have an obligation to remove it,” Hagari stated in a press briefing.



In addition to the images, the IDF also released footage of an airstrike on another Lebanese home used by Hezbollah to store munitions. The video shows a rocket launching from the house after it was struck, which subsequently hit a neighboring building. This evidence highlights Hezbollah’s tactic of embedding military assets within civilian areas, a strategy that increases the risk to non-combatants in southern Lebanon.






These revelations come as Israeli airstrikes continue to target Hezbollah’s military infrastructure amid escalating tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 355 - UPDATE 25.09.24

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IDF raids in Gaza Strip kill dozens of terrorists in 24 hours

Operatives who were killed included commanders and members of "Hamas's various combat arrays," the IDF said.
(Sep. 25, 2024 / JNS)


More than 40 Hamas terrorists were killed during military operations in Gaza over the past day, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday.



Operatives who were killed included commanders and members of “Hamas’s various combat arrays,” including its weapons and rocket division, as well as the terror group’s propaganda unit, the IDF said.



In northern Gaza, the army launched targeted raids in Beit Lahia aimed at destroying terror infrastructure there, according to the IDF statement. During the operation, troops of the Gaza Division located three rocket launchers, one of which was loaded “to be launched immediately.”



Meanwhile, in the central Strip, reservists of the military’s 252nd Division launched several raids in Gaza City’s Sabra and Zeitoun neighborhoods, as well as on the outskirts of Nuseirat. The military said the soldiers located and destroyed several terrorist tunnels in the area.



During operations in areas surrounding Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, troops eliminated Hamas operatives who were operating from a shaft while locating “many weapons” used by the terrorist organization.





On Sept. 12, the IDF declared it defeated Hamas’s Rafah brigade after four months of targeted raids in the city near the border with Egypt.



Troops destroyed some 80% of tunnels located near and beneath the Philadelphi Corridor, the statement noted, using the IDF’s name for the 8.5-mile-long land strip along the border with Egypt’s Sinai Desert. It added that forces continue to discover and destroy underground routes.



The Rafah brigade and its four battalions—Yabna (south), east Rafah, Tel al-Sultan (west) and Shaboura (north)—was the terror group’s final functioning brigade, according to past Israel military assessments.



Ahead of the current escalation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the IDF moved its 98th Division from Gaza to the country’s northern border.



IDF Northern Command head Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin said on Wednesday that the army needs to be prepared for a potential ground invasion of Lebanon to remove the threat posed by Hezbollah terrorists there.



Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly daily since Oct. 8, firing thousands of rockets, missiles and drones. The attacks have killed more than 40 people and caused widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israeli civilians remain internally displaced due to the ongoing violence.


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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 356 - UPDATE 26.09.24

[ExquisiteGerbil]

Israel Downs Houthi Missile Aimed at Tel Aviv; Fragments Set Off Sirens

Joel B. Pollak
26 Sep 2024

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile early Friday morning local time that had been launched at Tel Aviv by Houthi rebels in Yemen.



According to the IDF, Israel’s Arrow system, used to knock down long-range missiles, successfully intercepted the Houthi missile outside Israeli airspace.



Local air raid warnings were triggered in the middle of the night by fragments of the missile that continued flying. Only minor to moderate injuries were reported, most caused when people raced to shelters.

The Houthis, an Iranian-backed terrorist proxy group, occupy portions of Yemen. President Donald Trump listed them as a terrorist organization before leaving office; President Joe Biden removed their terrorist designation, only to restore it three years later, after months of attacks on Red Sea shipping and attempts to attack targets in Israel.



The Houthis have expressed solidarity with Hezbollah, which is currently under attack from Israeli forces in Lebanon.



The missile was the second fired by the Houthis this month; the first was also intercepted, but over Israeli airspace.

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[OmegaMan]

Sirens Blare Overnight As Yemeni Houthis Target Tel Aviv With Ballistic Missile

by Tyler Durden

Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - 09:58 PM


Update(2158ET): Yemen's Houthis have escalated their action against Israel, in the overnight hours launching at least one ballistic missile which came near Israel. Unconfirmed reports say the missile targeted Tel Aviv. Some independent journalists are claiming some projectiles hit Israel.



Israel's military has said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, and explosions were widely heard in the early night hours of Friday (local). "Following the sirens that sounded in central Israel, the surface-to-surface missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted by an 'Arrow' interceptor outside of Israeli territory," the army said in a statement. "There is currently no change to the IDF Defensive guidelines," it added.





Inbound ballistic missile from Yemen, via X/TOI

At the same time, over the last day Israeli sources have said rockets fired from Hezbollah positions in Lebanon have targeted central Israel, a clear sign that Hezbollah is intent on reaching targets much deeper into the country.

Some sources are claiming there were successful strikes on the ground, but Israeli reports are emphasizing the intercept. More attacks from Yemen could be on the way.

* * *



Update(1634ET): Netanyahu's trip to the United States has quicky proved embarrassing for the Biden administration. The first thing the Israeli prime minister did after landing in the US was quickly walk back a 'private understanding' with the Biden administration that he would publicly vouch for the US-proposed 21-day ceasefire plan in Lebanon. But the opposite happened.



On Thursday Netanyahu made it crystal clear that there will be no ceasefire in Lebanon. Axios has confirmed the walk-back as follows:



The prime minister's change, which comes after public threats by far-right ministers in his government and attacks by Israeli opposition leaders, could increase tensions with the Biden administration.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: "The announcement about the temporary ceasefire in Lebanon was published in coordination with Israel. We don't believe an all-out war in Lebanon is the answer."



Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute think tank had this to say: "It is not that Netanyahu is playing Biden. It is that Biden lets Netanyahu play him over, and over, and over again."



Indeed this has been the constant pattern when it comes to the much touted Gaza truce which has never happened despite Blinken constantly proclaiming the US was "at the goal line" in terms of making it happen.



* * *



Despite optimistic Wednesday headlines from US media touting a White House push for ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, there proved no substance to the reports, given just a day later Israel has rejected the proposals for a ceasefire in Lebanon.



"There will be no ceasefire in the north," Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on X. "We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes."

Continued at link

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TV7 Israel News - Swords of Iron, Israel at War - Day 357 - UPDATE 27.09.24

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TV7 Israel – Deep Dive Featuring Hudson Institute – Israel At War Update – September 30th, 2024

[ExquisiteGerbil]

‘Third Lebanon War’ Begins: Israel Launches Ground Offensive

Joel B. Pollak
30 Sep 2024

The Third Lebanon War has officially begun, according to Israel’s Army Radio, as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground forces crossed into Lebanon early Tuesday morning to remove Hezbollah outposts that threaten Israeli communities.



The IDF apparently crossed into Lebanon at the “finger” or “panhandle” of Israel’s Galilee region, near the town of Metula, which was Israel’s northernmost town until the capture and annexation of the Golan Heights.







In a statement, the IDF said:



In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.



The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months.



The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area.



These operations were approved and carried out in accordance with the decision of the political echelon. Operation “Northern Arrows” will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas.



The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes.



The ground invasion began exactly two weeks after Israel’s security cabinet decided to adopt a new war goal, namely the safe return of Israel’s northern residents to the homes from which they were evacuated when Hezbollah opened fire in October.



According to Army Radio, the goal of the war is not to occupy southern Lebanon, or to establish a “security zone” (see below), but simply to remove Hezbollah bases and positions from which terrorists have been firing on Israeli citizens.



The First Lebanon War took place in 1982, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon to remove Palestinian guerillas who had shelled Israeli communities. Israel won the war but went astray when it continued on to Beirut and tried to install a friendly government in Lebanon, amid civilian casualties and atrocities by local militias. While the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was forced to leave Lebanon, Israelis came to regard the war as their own Vietnam.



For 18 years, Israel occupied a “security zone” north of the border, until repeated attacks by Hezbollah insurgents led the Israeli government to seek a negotiated withdrawal. When talks failed, Israel simply left unilaterally in 2000 — under fire from Hezbollah, which claimed victory.



The Second Lebanon War began in 2006, when Hezbollah kidnapped and killed several Israeli soldiers. Israel hit Hezbollah hard, but its ground forces, which had been focused on responding to the threat of the second Palestinian intifada, were ill-prepared and underequipped.



While the Israeli Air Force (IAF) successfully pounded Hezbollah positions, civilian casualties prompted global protest, and the George W. Bush administration pushed Israel to accept a stalemate and a compromise — namely, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which said Hezbollah had to withdraw north of the Litani River.



Hezbollah ignored the resolution, and neither the United Nations nor Lebanon enforced it. That allowed Hezbollah to build a massive arsenal, and underground tunnels, which posed a threat to Israeli communities. Iran, which arms and funds Hezbollah, also used the terror organization as a deterrent against an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program.



Last October, Hezbollah began firing at Israel after Hamas launched its brutal terror attack in the southern part of the country. The Biden administration sought a diplomatic resolution, on the heels of his push in 2022 for a deal in which Israel gave up some of its offshore gas fields in exchange for vague guarantees Hezbollah would not start another war.



But rather than a deal, Hezbollah preferred to continue firing at northern Israel, or at least to emerge with an agreement that would allow it to claim its intervention had forced Israel to accept an unfavorable ceasefire in Gaza.



That appears to have been a major strategic blunder. In the space of two weeks, Israel has destroyed Hezbollah’s leadership and communications infrastructure, as well as much of its arsenal, and is now pressing its advantage.



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears determined to ensure that the Third Lebanon War does not end with the indeterminate result of the first two, but rather with Israeli victory, and a Lebanon free from enemy interventions.

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 361 - UPDATE 01.10.24

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TV7 Israel News - Swords of Iron, Israel at War - Day 362 - UPDATE 02.10.24

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IDF adds troops to ground op as Hezbollah rains rockets on north

Some 100 rockets were fired by the Iranian proxy group • The IDF announced the entry of the 36th Division to the ground operation in Lebanon.
(Oct. 2, 2024 / JNS)


The Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that another division, the 36th, was joining its ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, as the Iranian terror proxy continued to launch rocket barrages across the border.



According to the IDF, some 100 rockets were fired at northern Israel during the morning hours, which followed Tuesday night’s second-ever direct attack on Israel by Iran.



In the latest barrage, around 10 rockets were launched at the Western Galiliee and Haifa Bay area.



No injuries were reported.



Also in the morning, Hezbollah fired a long-range rocket at central Israel, which fell in an open area, causing no damage and triggering no alarms.



Meanwhile, the IDF is intensifying its ground operations against Hezbollah.


“The 36th Division, including soldiers of the Golani Brigade, 188th Armored Brigade, 6th Infantry Brigade and additional forces are joining the limited, localized, targeted raids on Hezbollah terror targets and terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon that began on Monday,” the IDF announced.



The Israeli Air Force and 282nd Artillery Brigade are supporting ground forces.



The 98th Division and the 7th Brigade’s armored units have been preparing for the ground invasion for several weeks. The 98th Division joined the Northern Command after months of fighting Hamas terrorists in Gaza.



The IDF on Wednesday for a second consecutive day called on people to evacuate villages in Southern Lebanon.



“Hezbollah’s activities are forcing the IDF to act against them forcefully. The IDF does not intend to harm you, and therefore, for your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Al-Awali River. Save your lives,” tweeted Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.


“Anyone near Hezbollah members, their facilities, or their weapons is putting their life in danger. Any house used by Hezbollah for military purposes is likely to be targeted. Evacuate your homes immediately. Be careful not to head south. Any movement southward may put you at risk. We will inform you when it is safe to return to your homes.”



The directive is for 24 villages in Southern Lebanon.



In addition to the ground operation in Southern Lebanon, the IDF said on Wednesday morning that over the past few days Israeli Air Force fighter jets have conducted a series of targeted strikes in the Beirut area, targeting several weapons production facilities and terrorist infrastructure.



The IDF emphasized that civilians were given advanced warning to evacuate the area ahead of the precision strikes.


“The Hezbollah terrorist organization has deliberately primarily embedded its weapons production facilities and weaponry beneath residential buildings in the heart of the city of Beirut, hiding them in populated areas,” the IDF said, adding that the strikes were conducted to degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities.



Gallant: ‘We are eliminating Radwan forces’



Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was briefed over the past several days on the IDF’s efforts to dismantle Hezbollah terror infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, his office said on Tuesday.



Gallant was shown Hezbollah weapons located and confiscated by Israeli forces.


“Everything you see here—the weapons, missiles, explosives, RPGs—they were found by the IDF in areas from where [Hezbollah’s] Radwan forces planned launch attacks to kill and kidnap Israeli citizens,” Gallant said while observing the seized weaponry.



“We are eliminating the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon and dismantling its Radwan forces along the entire border,” he continued.



“What we will do here is part of what it means to ensure the safe return of Israel’s citizens to their homes in the north. We are changing the security situation.”

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[J.J.Gibbs]

Russian Anti-Air Missiles Likely Engaged Israeli Jets Attacking Syria's Coast

by Tyler Durden

Thursday, Oct 03, 2024 - 01:45 PM


Israeli strikes have hit Syria for multiple straight days, with the latest being on the outskirts of Damascus, in the western part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate near Lebanon, on Thursday morning. Syrian national media says anti-air defense missiles are confronting "hostile targets".



But it was an overnight major attack on Syria's coast which has for the first time brought Israel close to clashing with the Russian military. An Israeli drone as well as warplanes reportedly targeted sites in the coastal Syrian city of Jableh before daybreak. A weapons depot was apparently targeted and destroyed, which crucially was situated near the Hmeimim Air Base, the largest Russian air base in Syria.


Widely circulating image of alleged Israeli strike on weapons depot in Jableh, via X.

Chinese state media has cited a war monitor to say that "Syrian air defenses and Russian forces responded to the attack within 40 to 50 minutes."



Large explosions were heard and witnessed throughout the area, and resulted in large fires, to which emergency personnel responded.



The same aforementioned report detailed that "While there is no official confirmation, the pro-government Sham FM radio said the sounds heard in the skies over Jableh were the air defenses intercepting targets off the coast."



Unverified reports in Arabic media say that the Russian airbase was directly struck, but other reports dispute this:

The Times of Israel also commented on the rare coastal attack, saying "Some Syrian opposition outlets claim that the targeted warehouse was inside Russia’s Hmeimim Airbase."



Regardless, what is clear is that the strikes were at least very close to the Russian airbase, creating the strong likelihood that Russian anti-air defenses were triggered into action.



Throughout the Syrian proxy war, there had been many close calls where Israel and Russia nearly clashed, but this has been carefully avoided.







The most deadly example involved a September 2018 Israeli attack on Syria which ended in the downing of a large Russian reconnaissance plane. It had been patrolling over the Syrian coastal area during a surprise Israeli air raid, but was reportedly struck by 'friendly fire' from Syrian anti-air batteries as they attempted to repel the Israeli planes. 15 Russian crew members were killed.



So far there has been no official government confirmation that Russia engaged inbound Israeli jets in this newest incident over Jableh and Hmeimim Air Base. Russian accounts have denied that the base was directly attacked. Moscow has tended to downplay prior incidents, perhaps wishing to maintain its delicate relations with Israel to avoid escalation.

* * *



Syrian and regional analyst Kevork Almassian has provided the following commentary [emphasis ZH]...



Israel's recent large-scale military aggression on the Syrian coast near the city of Jableh could mark a significant turning point in the ongoing regional conflict. This attack followed a meeting on Wednesday between Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy on Syria, and Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).



During the talks, Lavrentiev expressed hope that Israel would heed Iran's warnings. Israel appears to have interpreted this meeting, along with Lavrentiev's statements, as tacit Russian approval of Iran’s retaliatory actions. Consequently, Israel targeted warehouses of the Russian forces. This likely explains the joint response from Syrian and Russian air defenses, marking a departure from previous Israeli strikes, where Russia had refrained from direct involvement in the defense effort.







Following the conclusion of the attack at 5:50 AM, a Russian air patrol was observed over Latakia. The Israeli strike on a Russian facility in Syria is a serious escalation. Netanyahu’s actions suggest he is no longer solely confronting the "Axis of Resistance" but is also risking Russian interests. Should Moscow choose to respond, it could dramatically alter the balance of power in the region.

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TV7 Israel News - Swords of Iron, Israel at War - Day 363 - UPDATE 03.10.24

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TV7 Israel News - Swords of Iron, Israel at War - Day 364 - UPDATE 04.10.24

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Israeli forces redeploy to northern Gaza to quell Hamas resurgence

Soldiers from the 162nd Division moved from the Philadelphi Corridor to Jabaliya for the counter-terrorism operation.

Joshua Marks
(Oct. 6, 2024 / JNS)


The Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday that Israeli forces had encircled Jabaliya in northern Gaza ahead of an operation there to prevent Hamas from reestablishing itself there.



The army said that soldiers from the 162nd Division were redeployed to the Jabaliya area overnight Saturday after being stationed along the Philadelphi Corridor separating Gaza from Egypt’s Sinai.


Troops from the 401st and 460th brigades had encircled the area and were continuing to operate there on Sunday, according to the IDF. They were assisted by the Israeli Air Force before and during the ground operation, directed by the 215th Brigade. Among the targets hit were weapons storage facilities, underground infrastructure, terrorist cells and additional military sites.






The terror group reported that during the operation 30 people were killed and 150 were injured.



“This operation to systematically dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area will continue as long as required in order to achieve its objectives,” the IDF said.


The 162nd Division last month defeated Hamas’s Rafah brigade after four months of targeted raids in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city near the border with Egypt.



Speaking with reporters on Sept. 12, 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen declared that “four battalions have been destroyed, and we have completed operational control over the entire urban area.”



However, intelligence showing a Hamas resurgence in Jabaliya prompted the 162nd Division to move north to the neighborhood.



IDF expands al-Mawasi humanitarian zone



The IDF on Sunday morning published a new evacuation map for the northern Gaza Strip, pointing noncombatants to an expanded humanitarian zone at al-Mawasi, which includes field hospitals, tent complexes, food, water, medicine and medical equipment.



As part of the effort to alert the residents of northern Gaza to get out of the active combat zone, the IDF dropped leaflets from the air and Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, tweeted in Arabic with accompanying maps.


“The terrorist Hamas continues its attempts to solidify its terrorist infrastructure in your area, exploiting civilians, shelters and medical facilities as human shields,” Adraee wrote, followed by evacuation details.



“I remind you that the northern Gaza Strip remains a dangerous combat zone,” Adraee warned.



Plans to turn northern Gaza into military zone



Kan News reported around a month ago that senior IDF officials were considering a plan to turn the northern Gaza Strip into a military zone.



Known as the “Island Plan,” it would see the IDF evacuate more than 200,000 Gazans from the northern part of the Strip, placing the area entirely under Israeli military control.



Sinwar wants wider war, not interested in a deal



Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wants a wider regional war and is not interested in reaching a ceasefire deal, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials.



The article noted that Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre and who is believed to be hiding in Gaza’s vast tunnel network, has long believed that he won’t survive the war and has hardened his attitude in recent weeks.




Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar holds the son of an Al-Qassam Brigades terrorist who was killed in recent fighting with Israel, during a rally in Gaza City, May 24, 2021. Photo by Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images.


Hamas holds 101 hostages, including 97 of the 251 kidnapped during the onslaught on the northwestern Negev nearly one year ago, in which 1,200 people were killed and thousands more wounded.



“Hamas has shown no desire at all to engage in talks in recent weeks, U.S. officials say. They suspect that Mr. Sinwar has grown more resigned as Israeli forces pursue him and talk about closing in on him,” according to the Times.



“A larger war that puts pressure on Israel and its military would, in Mr. Sinwar’s assessment, force them to scale back operations in Gaza, the U.S. officials said,” it continued.



However, despite the war widening to include an expanded conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and a direct engagement with Iran, the Gaza front remains active. American officials said that the failure of Hezbollah and Iran to damage Israel signals the miscalculation made by Sinwar.



The Times article noted that some Israeli officials have questioned whether Sinwar is still alive, with American and Israeli officials acknowledging that there has been no sign of him for months. However, in the absence of hard evidence of his death, U.S. officials believe he is still alive and in charge of Hamas.



Qataris say Sinwar ‘disappeared’



Channel 12 reported on Saturday that the Qatari officials involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas told the families of hostages in recent days that Sinwar has “disappeared.”



“Sinwar is currently not communicating with us. He has disappeared from us as well and has not made contact. He stopped using phones because of the assassinations, and now he communicates using paper and pen, which makes things very difficult,” the Qataris reportedly told the relatives.



The Qatari officials also told the family members that they believe Sinwar has surrounded himself with hostages and that despite his disappearance, there is no indication that Sinwar is dead.



The Qataris, who maintain close ties with Hamas, also claimed that Israel’s policy of assassinations makes reaching a deal more difficult.



“Israel’s assassination policy has worsened the deal. In the past, there was Haniyeh, and he was assassinated. Now there is Khaled Mashal, and he is much more difficult than Haniyeh,” they were quoted as saying. However, the families of the hostages say that these claims should be taken with caution due to Doha’s close relations with the terror group.



Sharon Sharabi, the brother of Yossi Sharabi, who was murdered in captivity and whose body is being held by Hamas, criticized the Qataris at the meeting, telling them that “the blood of our families is on your hands because you transferred the money to the terrorists, but you may also be the ones who can try to save the hostages.”

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TV7 Israel – Deep Dive Featuring Hudson Institute – Israel At War Update – October 7th, 2024

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 368 - UPDATE 08.10.24

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IDF troops raze Hezbollah terrorist tunnel crossing into Israeli territory

Israeli Air Force fighter jets carried out "extensive" strikes on Hezbollah's underground infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, the IDF revealed.
(Oct. 8, 2024 / JNS)


Israel Defense Forces soldiers destroyed a Hezbollah terrorist tunnel that crossed some 10 meters (33 feet) into sovereign Israeli territory from Lebanon, the military revealed on Tuesday night.



According to the statement, the tunnel had no exit in Israeli territory, though its path crossed the Blue Line—a U.N.-recognized delineation marking Jerusalem’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000—in the area of Zar’it, an agricultural community in the Upper Galilee near the border.



The underground infrastructure was physically located in recent months during a targeted IDF counter-terrorism operation to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, the army statement announced.

“The tunnel was under full [Israeli] operational control until troops arrived in the area [as part of the IDF ground maneuver] in order to prevent it from being used to carry out terrorism,” the statement noted.



Elite IDF troops were said to have discovered a cache of weapons and explosive devices, as well as anti-tank missiles, in the tunnel.



“The IDF will continue its limited, localized, targeted ground operations based on precise intelligence and targeted airstrikes in Southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is no longer a threat to the civilians of northern Israel,” said the army.



The statement noted that no additional tunnels have been found so far.

‘Intention of harming IDF forces’



Hezbollah has attacked the Jewish state on a near-daily basis from its “military” positions in Southern Lebanon since Oct. 8 in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and its infiltration into Israel on Oct. 7.



The Iranian-backed terrorist army has fired more than 12,400 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel over the past year, killing more than 40 people and causing widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israelis remain internally displaced due to the ongoing cross-border attacks.



Jerusalem has escalated attacks on Hezbollah since adding the return of evacuated Israeli civilians to the north as an official war goal on Sept. 17.



The Israeli Air Force has since attacked the Hezbollah leadership in its southern Beirut stronghold multiple times, killing terror leader Hassan Nasrallah and targeting his presumed successor, Hashem Safieddine.



The Israel Defense Forces late last week launched a limited ground operation in Lebanon, which is focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure located within miles of Israel’s northern border.



IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters on Tuesday evening that fighter jets the previous day carried out “extensive” strikes on Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure in Southern Lebanon.



Acting on specific intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate, in conjunction with the IDF Northern Command and Operations Directorate, 100 jets struck Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, which has been responsible for terror threats to communities in northern Israel.



The Radwan Force’s Galilee invasion plan served as the blueprint for the Hamas Nukhba death squads that led the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.



Some 50 Lebanese terrorists, including six Hezbollah commanders, were killed in Monday’s strikes, Hagari said, noting that the targets of the attack had all advanced terrorist attacks against the Jewish state.



According to the IDF, Hezbollah’s Southern Front “for years built a vast array of infrastructure and underground headquarters in Southern Lebanon with the intention of harming IDF forces during combat and carrying out an attack plan against the Galilee communities.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem for the first time signaled the terrorist organization’s approval of ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon.



However, according to a translation provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Qassem ruled out a truce until Jerusalem ceases its campaign. “As far as we are concerned, prior to the truce, any other discussion is out of place. If the enemy continues its war, the battlefield will decide [between us],” Qassem was quoted as saying.



“We belong to the battlefield and are not begging for a solution. Know that this is a war over who screams first, and we will not scream. We will continue to make sacrifices, and Inshallah [‘God willing’], you will hear the screams of the Israeli enemy,” the Hezbollah deputy leader added.



Hezbollah is under pressure from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to stop the fighting, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday night. Tehran’s insistence on a truce was borne out of a desire to limit its losses in the multi-front war with Israel, the report claimed.



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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 369 - UPDATE 09.10.24

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 370 - UPDATE 10.10.24

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TV7 Israel – Deep Dive Featuring Hudson Institute – Israel At War Update – October 14th, 2024

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Israeli Air Force downs Hezbollah missiles heading for Tel Aviv

Millions of civilians were sent running to bomb shelters.
(Oct. 14, 2024 / JNS)


Air-raid sirens were activated across Israel’s central region, including in Tel Aviv, on Monday evening, warning of incoming Hezbollah terrorist missiles from Lebanon.



The Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command confirmed that alerts were triggered in more than 180 cities and towns across the Gush Dan and Sharon regions.


“Alerts were triggered in multiple areas in the country’s center following launches that crossed into [Israeli territory] from Lebanon; the details are under investigation,” the IDF stated in a post on social media.



The military subsequently announced that three projectiles were fired into the Jewish state by Hezbollah, noting that “all threats were intercepted according to policy.”



Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked the launchers in Lebanon from which the missiles were fired, the IDF added.



Wolfson Medical Center in the central Israeli city of Holon said in a statement that a 17-year-old girl was lightly wounded from shrapnel.



Another Israeli sustained injuries while running for safety amid the attack, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.


Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah also fired rockets at central Israel, triggering air-raid sirens in the Sharon, Menashe and Wadi Ara areas. The Air Force intercepted all of the projectiles, and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.



The barrage came after the Iranian terrorist proxy killed four Israeli soldiers in a drone strike on a Golani Brigade training base near Binyamina on Sunday night.



Hezbollah fired some 320 projectiles at the Jewish state on Saturday, as Israelis marked Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.



The terror army launched five rockets at central Israel on Oct. 7, the first anniversary of the Hamas-led massacre in the northwestern Negev, triggering sirens in several areas. Hezbollah claimed that the target of the attack was the Glilot military intelligence base between Tel Aviv and Herzliya.



Since Hezbollah joined the war against the Jewish state in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, the Lebanese terrorist organization has fired more than 12,400 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel.


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