Archive for month: September, 2024

News Update

By this time you’ve all heard the good news: Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, along with 20 other Hezbollah terrorists, in an airstrike against Hezbollah’s central command headquarters deep beneath a residential apartment complex in the Hezbollah controlled Dahiya neighborhood of Beirut.

Some of the other Hezbollah leaders eliminated include:
Nabil Qaouk, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Preventative Security Unit and a member of its Central Council, Ali Karchi, commander of the southern front, Ibrahim Hussein Jazini, head of Nasrallah’s personal security unit, Samir Tawfik Diab, an advisor to Nasrallah, Abd al-Amir Muhammad Siblini, responsible for Hezbollah’s force build-up, Ali Nawaf Ayoub, responsible for Hezbollah’s firepower. The deputy commander of operations of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Abbas Nilforoushan, just happened to be there too [what a surprise].

In another strike, Fateh Sherif, the head of Hamas’ Lebanon branch, was eliminated.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said that 3 of its leaders were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Kola district of Beirut.

Hashem Safieddine, a key figure within Hezbollah, has been chosen by the group’s Shura Council to succeed Hassan Nasrallah as Secretary-General. Safieddine, often seen as more hardline than Nasrallah, has close ties with Iran. Since 1995, he has been a member of Hezbollah’s top leadership body, the Majlis al-Shura, and serves as the head of the Executive Council, overseeing the group’s internal activities, including social and political operations.

So Israel is successfully eliminating the leadership of Hezbollah, Hamas and other terror groups. Unfortunately, while this is a highly damaging blow and will undoubtedly degrade their ability to mount organized and sophisticated attacks, it probably will not preclude the need for an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon to push the tens of thousands of Hezbollah terror forces back behind the Litani river. IDF special forces have already mounted small-scale raids against Hezbollah and have entered Hezbollah tunnels along the border, inside Lebanon. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops in the north today: “Nasrallah’s elimination is not the end. To return the northern residents, we will activate all our capabilities, including you.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah managed to fire at least 35 rockets at northern Israel this morning.

According to an IDF statement, the Israeli Air Force conducted a wide-ranging operation today, striking military targets of the Houthi regime 1,800 km from Israel. Dozens of Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets, tankers, and intelligence planes, were involved, targeting oil ports and power stations used by the Houthi regime for military and oil supply operations.

News Update

Israel has rejected an immediate 21 ceasefire with Hezbollah, proposed by the U.S. and France. Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who is filling in for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he travels to the United States to address the UN General Assembly, wrote: “There will be no cease-fire in the north. We will continue to fight against the terrorist organization Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.” The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement saying, “The Prime Minister has directed the IDF to continue fighting with full force, according to the plan that was presented to him. The fighting in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war have been achieved.”

The IDF has been striking 7 border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, to disrupt arms shipments into Lebanon. The IDF continues to strike Hezbollah targets throughout southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. It also struck a high ranking Hezbollah commander in Beirut today, reportedly Hezbollah’s head of UAVs.

A barrage of around 45 rockets was launched at Acre this morning.

A Hamas official told the Saudi network Al-Hadath today that Hamas has reached an agreement that would make the Fatah party of Palestinian President Abbas responsible for the civil management of Gaza, including the crossings. The agreement is supposed to be signed next week in Cairo. A senior official in the Palestinian Authority played down the likelihood of an agreement.

News Update

The IDF continues to carry out hundreds of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah rockets and munitions in Lebanon. Defense sources say that the IDF has destroyed over half of Hezbollah’s short and medium range missiles, but they still have thousands remaining.

The Israeli offensive, names Operation Northern Arrows, hit 1,300 Hezbollah targets on Monday. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported almost 500 dead and 1,700 injured (no distinction made between terrorists and civilians). A senior IDF official said, “This is just a promo. We have tens of thousands more targets. If Hezbollah continues, so will we.” Hezbollah fired over 200 rockets at northern Israel yesterday, and continues firing today. Several Israeli civilians have been injured.

An IDF strike in Beirut yesterday targeted Ali Karaki, the head of Hezbollah’s southern front and the group’s 3rd highest ranking official. It is unclear whether he was killed or injured in the strike. Hezbollah claims that he was not harmed and is now in a safe location. The IDF conducted another strike in Beirut today. Abu Jawad Harikhi, the head of Hezbollah’s missile system, was reportedly killed in the attack, but it has not been confirmed.

Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video in which he tells the Lebanese people that Israel’s war is not against them but only against Hezbollah. He said, “To protect our people from Hezbollah attacks, we must neutralize this threat. This morning, the IDF warned you to evacuate the danger zone. Please take this warning seriously. Don’t let Hezbollah endanger your lives or the lives of your loved ones. Leave the area now. After our operation is complete, you can return home safely.”

News Update

Yesterday afternoon, dozens of Israeli aircraft struck around 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, containing hundreds of rockets aimed at Israel.

Hezbollah fired a large barrage of rockets at the northern town of Metula, damaging 50 houses. At least 70 rocket wee fired at Safed, 50 at Meron and 70 at the southern Golan. U.S. officials do not believe that an Israeli ground invasion is imminent, since reserves have not been called up. The U.S. and its European allies called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Hezbollah is reportedly struggling to regroup amid worries about the extent to which its communications infrastructure was compromised by Israel. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah said in a speech in Lebanon yesterday, “There is no doubt that we have been subjected to a major security and humanitarian blow that is unprecedented in the history of the resistance in Lebanon at least and unprecedented in the history of Lebanon.” Israeli jets also flew over Beirut, setting off sonic booms, during his speech.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, U.S. officials don’t think a hostage deal will be reached during President Biden’s term in office. According to the officials, one of the main challenges is the number of prisoners Hamas is demanding in exchange for the hostages. Another challenge is that Hamas refuses to agree to demands that they have made, which have already been agreed to by Israel.

News Update

In an operation taken straight out of a spy thriller, Israel remotely detonated thousands of pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives and related persons in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. The pagers were part of a 5,000 pager shipment ordered from a company in Taiwan months ago. Explosive material was embedded near the battery of each pager, with a remotely activated switch embedded to trigger the detonation. At 3:30 p.m., a message resembling a directive from Hezbollah leadership was sent to the pagers, activating the explosives. Around 4,000 Hezbollah terrorists were reportedly wounded, hundreds critically. Many lost eyes and fingers. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, lost an eye and suffered severe injuries to the other.

Hsu Ching-kuang, the founder and president of the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo that reportedly manufactured the pagers, that his small company, which employs just 40 people in New Taipei, had produced the devices involved in the attack. He said that they were produced by a European company called BAC, which was licensed to use Gold Apollo’s brand. The company’s website has been taken down. The sale was facilitated by a Hungarian company based in Budapest. Hezbollah used pagers to avoid its terrorists from being located. So much for that plan.

A Hezbollah spokesperson, speaking to the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, said, “Within a minute, the enemy dealt one of its worst blows to Hezbollah since the conflict began,” adding that the operation showcased Israel’s technological and intelligence superiority, significantly disrupting Hezbollah’s communications. He said, “The enemy has pushed the resistance beyond the traditional rules of engagement that have held for a year. We are now facing a new reality.”

The IDF is bracing for Hezbollah retaliation. The IDF is redeploying its elite 98th division from Gaza to the northern border.

Four IDF soldiers were killed in Gaza, when the building they were inside exploded:

– Cpt. Daniel Mimon Toaff, 23, from Moreshet, deputy company commander of the Givati Brigade’s Shaked Battalion.
– Staff Sgt. Agam Naim, 20, from Mishmarot, a paramedic in the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion.
– Staff Sgt. Amit Bakri, 21, from Yoshivia, serving in the Givati Brigade’s Shaked Battalion.
– Staff Sgt. Dotan Shimon, 21, from Elazar, also in the Givati Brigade’s Shaked Battalion.

In the same incident, an officer and two soldiers from the Shaked Battalion were seriously injured, while two others sustained moderate injuries.

The Israel Air Force struck Hamas terrorists operating from within a command and control center based in the Ibn Al-Haytam School in the Gaza City area today. Hamas terrorists were using the structure to plan and execute attacks on IDF troops and Israeli territory.