Archive for category: news

News Update

Over the past week, the ‘Yiftah’ and ‘Carmeli’ reservist combat teams, under the 99th Division’s command, have initiated defensive and offensive operations within the Central Gaza Strip Corridor. The operations are essential for maintaining security along the corridor and ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid.

Two IDF reserve soldiers were killed in an friendly fire incident, when a tank shell was fired at the building they were in. They were:

– Master Sgt. (res.) Ido Aviv, 28, of the Yiftah Brigade’s 9232nd Battalion, from Karmiel.

– Master Sgt. (res.) Kalkidan Meharim 37, of the Carmeli Brigade’s 223rd Battalion, from Petah Tikva.

A Border Police officer was stabbed and wounded by a 34 year old Turkish tourist in the Old City of Jerusalem. The terrorist was shot and killed by police.

Hezbollah rockets and drones continue to attack northern Israel.

Israel continues to ready for an invasion of Rafah as negotiations to free hostages continue to be blocked by Hamas rejections of all Israeli offers. With international pressure mounting against Israel and pro-Palestinian college campus demonstrations erupting throughout the U.S., Hamas doesn’t have much incentive to agree to anything. The longer they hold out, the more harm they cause Israel in the international community and the closer they get to Israel finally being forced to concede a ceasefire. The threat of an Israeli invasion of Rafah only adds to their determination to fight on, because they know that the inevitable civilian casualty toll will only increase the international outrage against Israel. Given that Hamas has zero concern for the fate of their civilians, another few thousand civilian deaths would be a a celebration for them.

Meanwhile, Hamas is observing the demonstrations in Israel demanding that the government bring the hostages home and adding fuel to the fire by releasing videos of several male hostages, including Americans, who are shown pleading for the government to secure their release. Of course, there isn’t a single person with a shred of humanity in them that doesn’t want the hostages released. But the question becomes, at what cost?

The chant, “Bring Them Home Now” has become a protest against the Israeli government to do the impossible — to surrender to Hamas, allowing them to resume governing Gaza and preparing for their next invasion of Israel with their thousands of armed terrorists. Hamas knows this, which is why they refuse to release the hostages and continue to hold out for the ultimate prize — victory over Israel. We should be chanting “Set them Free, Unconditionally.” “Bring them home” places the onus on the Israeli government to surrender to terror.

News Update

Israel struck an air base near the Iranian nuclear facility in Isfahan last night. The attack was apparently done with drones, and it’s unclear whether the drones were launched from Israel or from inside Iran and if any damage was caused. Explosions were heard in Isfahan, which Iran claims was the shooting down of suspicious objects. The very limited nature of the attack was meant to serve as a warning that Israel has the capability to breach Iranian air defenses and strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and military bases. The Iranian airbase targeted is similar in nature to the Iral airbase at Netavim that was slightly damaged in the Iranian attack. Syrian state media reported that Israel also attacked air-defense sites in Syria. Israel did not openly claim responsibility for any of the attacks. Iran said that is would not retaliate.

Israel reportedly informed the US right before the strike. In its symbolic response against Iran, Israel has abided by the requests of the US and European allies to not escalate the situation into a regional war while sending a clear message to deter Iranian attacks against it. Israel has hopefully gained some goodwill and given itself some breathing room to deal with Hezbollah and Hamas, possibly including a green light from the US to invade Rafah.

Iran, on the other hand, had the world squarely against Israel and had Israel under pressure from both Hezbollah and Hamas, but lost their upper hand, at least temporarily, by choosing to directly attack Israel and score points with their people and proxies.

The United States vetoed a resolution that would have granted the Palestinians full membership in the United Nations Security Council and essentially recognizing it as a state. The resolution was supported by Russia, China and France. Great Britain abstained.

Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon this morning.

International ratings agency S&P has announced that it has cut Israel’s credit rating from AA- to A+ due to the conflict with Iran, the ongoing war in Gaza and the escalation on the northern border. In addition, Israel’s credit outlook has been downgraded from ‘stable’ to ‘negative.’ For more, click here. 

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive, click here.

News Update

The Cabinet reached a unanimous decision that a response to Iran on Iranian soil must occur “in the near future.” The nature and timing of the response is still being debated. Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Minister Benny Gantz want to form a broader regional coalition before acting, while other ministers are advocating for a more immediate response.

Earlier today, Hezbollah launched about 15 rockets at the Meron air control base, located on the top of Mt. Meron, around 5 miles from the Lebanon border. The base contains Iron Dome batteries and is a major defensive control center for the IDF in the Galilee region. A few of the rockets landed in open areas and on the mountainside near the base. Dozens of rockets were fired at the western Galilee. Four missiles and drones fell in the Bedouin village of Arab Al-Aramshe, destroying a community center building and a car and injuring at least 13 people. Hezbollah said that the target of their missile and drone attack was an IDF facility in the village.

The IDF struck multiple Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. The IDF also eliminated Ismail Yusaf Baz, the commander of Hezbollah’s coastal sector, in an airstrike on his car near the town of Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon. Mohammad Hussein Moustafa Shouri, head of the rocket and missile unit in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force for the western sector, was also killed in a different strike. [How much longer can this non-war with Hezbollah continue, with over 100,000 Israelis displaced from their homes in the north?]

During the month of Ramadan, security forces arrested 300 suspected terrorists, including 15 who were on their way to commit terror attacks. Security forces eliminated 10 terrorists in airstrikes. For more, click here. 

The Israel Air Force attacked a three-story building in Rafah on Tuesday night, killing seven and wounding several others. An IDF soldier from the Shaldag unit was seriously wounded in a battle in the north of the Gaza Strip yesterday.

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive, click here.

News Update

Israel has not responded to the unprecedented Iranian missile and drone attack on Saturday, but it warned that it would respond to the attack at a future time and place of its choosing. To recap, Iran fired over 100 ballistic missiles, 30 land-attack cruise missiles, 150 UAVs and showed their people and allies that they were not afraid to directly strike Israel. The attack was muted in its scope to avoid provoked a massive Israeli response that would lead to a regional war. Had Iran launched thousands of missiles and drones in coordination with Hezbollah launching thousands of missiles at Israel, than the results would have undoubtedly been different. But they clearly wanted to make their point without triggering a larger response and all out war.

On the other hand, Israel showed its extraordinary defensive capabilities by intercepted 99% of all missiles and drones attacking it, most of them outside of Israeli airspace. The US sent Iran a clear message of support for Israel by shooting down 6 ballistic missiles and over 70 UAVs. British jets also shot down several drones. Other countries, including Jordan Saudi Arabia and the UAE, also participated in the interception of missiles and drones heading towards Israel. The message to Iran is that if there is a regional war, it will be facing not only Israel, but the US and a coalition of countries aligned against it.

By not responding in force, at least not immediately, Israel has scored goodwill points with the Biden administration and the international community, with the Western allies reaffirming their support for Israel and condemning the Iranian attack, while calling on Israel to avoid escalating the conflict by responding.

According to an Israeli TV report last night, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to postpone an invasion of Rafah.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility today for an explosive device that injured four IDF soldiers, just inside Lebanese territory. One soldier is in serious condition, two in moderate condition, and one had minor injuries. The incident is under investigation.

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive, click here.