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Posted: 4/26/2024 5:33:26 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Cypher15: The fact that the US isnt conducting a sort of 'SEASD' mission kind of shows how unserious the whole thing is. I agree--we have fantastic folks in the military who know how to win. Unfortunately, their leaders are idiots. Lloyd is too busy criticizing Iran and lying to Congress to worry about the Houthis. |
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Posted: 4/26/2024 9:40:38 PM EDT
[#2]
 Background on Hamas's use of truces in quote box Western reporting has exaggerated how much Hamas has moderated its position toward Israel following an interview with a top Hamas official. Western media reported that Khalil al Hayya, the deputy chairman of Hamas' Political Bureau, said during an interview on April 25 that Hamas is prepared to reach a truce of five or more years with Israel and implied that Hamas would turn into a political party and turn its military wing into “the national [Palestinian] army” if Israel recognizes a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Western reporting framed Hayya‘s statements to mean that Hamas‘ military wing would “dissolve“ if Israel recognized a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Hayya did not mention abandoning Hamas’ objective of destroying Israel, nor did he say that the new ”sovereign Palestinian state” would recognize Israel. Hamas sees control over the Gaza Strip and West Bank as an interim step in the destruction of the Israeli state. Hayya’s interview is entirely consistent with this position. Hamas’ military wing’s website says that the group can “accept the interim liberation of parts of Palestine” and an “interim truce” but that these interim steps only “serve as a warrior’s rest stop.” The same page adds that during this interim period, Hamas will not recognize Israel, and Hayya did not indicate that Hamas would do so. A five-year truce would serve Hamas’ purposes by allowing the group to prepare for the next round of fighting. Hamas started the current war by breaking a period of relative calm between itself and Israel on October 6, and there is no reason to believe Hamas will honor a future “truce.” Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 26 April Key Takeaways: Gaza The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades—the self-proclaimed militant wing of Fatah—and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) conducted separate mortar attacks targeting Israeli forces operating in the Netzarim corridor. The Netzarim corridor is where Israeli forces have established forward operating bases and outposts to facilitate future raids into the northern Gaza Strip. The US State Department paused its earlier decision to restrict military aid to the Netzah Yehuda Battalion under the Leahy Law. The Netzah Yehuda Battalion is an ultra-orthodox IDF unit that operates mostly in the West Bank. The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement conducted one rocket attack from the Gaza Strip targeting Sderot. This is the third consecutive day the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement has conducted rocket attacks into southern Israel. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least three locations across the West Bank. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fired small arms and detonated IEDs targeting Israeli forces during Israeli operations in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus. The IDF detained five individuals across the West Bank on April 26. The IDF also separately detained two individuals suspected of planning an attack on a farm in the central West Bank. The IDF confiscated an axe and knives from the suspects. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least three attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Hezbollah said that it fired anti-tank guided missiles, rockets, and mortars at Israeli vehicles in Ruwaisat al Alam in Shebaa Farms on April 25. The IDF reported that the attack killed an Israeli civilian. The IDF conducted an airstrike on April 26 targeting a senior Jamaa al Islamiya member in the Western Bekaa district, roughly nine miles north of Shebaa farms. The IDF airstrike occurred 19 hours after the Hezbollah attack targeting Shebaa Farms. The IDF said that the Jamaa al Islamiya commander was responsible for several attacks targeting Shebaa Farms and that he “cooperated” with Hamas in Lebanon. Jamaa al Islamiya was founded in 1964 as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Iran and Axis of Resistance Unspecified militants launched a one-way attack drone that killed four Yemeni nationals at the UAE-operated Khor Mor Gas field in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq, on April 26. The Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the attack and stated that the drone “came from a nearby region within Iraq. The Houthis attacked a Liberian-flagged merchant vessel MSC Darwin in the Gulf of Aden and separately launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting unspecified targets in Eilat, Israel, on April 25. CENTCOM reported that the Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden but added that it did not damage any ships or cause any injuries. CENTCOM forces destroyed one unmanned surface vessel and one unmanned aerial vehicle in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on April 25. CTP-ISW did not observe any media reporting that corroborated the Houthi’s claimed ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting Eilat. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an unspecified explosion and added that two missiles damaged a commercial vessel 14 nautical miles from al Mokha, Yemen, on April 26. A Yemeni journalist reported that the Houthis launched a ballistic missile from near Taiz around the same time as the UKMTO report.    
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Posted: 4/26/2024 11:59:18 PM EDT
[#3]
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Posted: 4/27/2024 9:09:39 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#4]
Terrorist killed by armed civilian
Police release footage of yesterday's stabbing attack in the central city of Ramle, during which a young woman was seriously wounded. The stabber was shot dead by an armed civilian. Police say that contrary to some reports, the assailant acted alone. The circumstances of the attack are still under investigation.
Somebody needs to put together a video with all these drone strikes with Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" as background music Footage released by the IDF shows an airstrike carried out against a building in southern Lebanon's Kafr Kila, where two Hezbollah operatives were gathered yesterday. The IDF says that one operative was already at the building, when a second armed Hezbollah member was identified by the 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, as seen in the video. The troops then called in an airstrike. Great shot of house taking a direct hit Israeli aircraft carried out strikes against some 25 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. One drone strike hit a rocket launching position that the IDF says was used in previous attacks on the southern city of Ashdod. Another rocket launching site was hit overnight in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, which the IDF says was used in attacks on troops inside Gaza. In central Gaza, the IDF says reservists of the Yiftah Brigade spotted a cell of gunmen preparing to open fire at troops from a building, before calling in a fighter jet airstrike, killing the operatives. Another airstrike directed by troops in central Gaza struck a vehicle with eight Hamas operatives in it, the military says. The IDF says additional airstrikes targeted buildings used by terror groups, weapon depots, underground sites, and other infrastructure. Link to source of articles below IDF says two Palestinians killed after firing at an army outpost in West Bank The Israeli army says that two Palestinians were shot and killed after they had opened fire at the Salem military outpost in the Menashe Regional Council in the West Bank near Jenin. According to the army's statement, the two Palestinians have arrived at the scene in a car and opened fire. They were shot and killed by the soldiers who were deployed in the sector following similar incidents that took place recently. The forces located Two M-16 semiautomatic rifles in the car. Rifles found in their car  Reports: Israeli airstrike hits city of Daraa in southern Syria An Israeli strike was reported in the Tel Hader area near the city of Daraa in southern Syria, according to reports by media outlets affiliated with the Syrian opposition. According to the reports, the attack came in response to a rocket fired from Syrian territory towards the Golan Heights New York Times: Biden administration would consider restricting arms sales to Israel if Rafah operation unfolds Brilliant--keep it up Joe, you are doing Hamas's negotiating for them. Safe from seriius retaliation, Hamas has no incentive to free the hostages. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote in an opinion article Friday that, according to U.S. officials, if Israel invades the southern Gaza city of Rafah, President Joe Biden would consider restricting certain arms sales to Israel. According to the officials, Friedman adds, the Biden administration believes that an Israeli ground operation in Rafah would also jeopardize a new hostage deal with Hamas. Friedman claims that, according to Biden administration, an invasion into Rafah would undermine three initiatives that the United States is wishing to promote in the region: the formation of an Arab peacekeeping force that could replace the IDF in Gaza, the securing of a diplomatic-security deal between Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United States and the Palestinians and joining together moderate Arab states and European allies into a security coalition that would counter Iranian missile threats against Israel. These initiatives, Friedman stresses, are dependent upon Israel leaving the Gaza Strip and achieving a cease-fire. IDF says Hamas launch site that targeted Ashdod was struck by the air force The Israeli army says that a Hamas launch site in Gaza, from which rockets were fired toward the southern Israeli city of Ashdod during the war, was struck and destroyed by the air force on Friday. The army's statement added that dozens of Hamas targets in the central Gaza Strip were also struck overnight into Saturday, including military compounds, ammunition storage facilities and terror tunnels. According to the army, the air force also struck a vehicle carrying eight Hamas members in the central Gaza Strip. |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 11:05:42 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#5]
Link to source of articles below. Senior military official to WSJ: The way to reach calm in north is ‘to escalate’ A senior Israeli military official tells The Wall Street Journal that intensifying Israeli operations is the only way to end clashes with Hezbollah on the northern border with Lebanon. “There is a way out and it’s to escalate,” the official says. “Israel cannot stop right now. It’s dangerous for the whole region.” The comments come on the same day as Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem warned that a war with the terror group would lead to Israelis being pushed from the north “once and for all.” Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there. So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in nine civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 11 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries. Hezbollah has named 289 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 56 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 60 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed. Israel has threatened to go to war to force Hezbollah away from the border if it does not retreat and continues to threaten northern communities, from where some 70,000 people were evacuated to avoid the fighting. Hezbollah deputy chief says full scale war will end Israeli presence in north ‘once and for all’ Sheik Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy leader addresses a speech during a protest to show their solidarity with the Palestinians, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, October 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Sheik Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy leader addresses a speech during a protest to show their solidarity with the Palestinians, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, October 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem warns that full-scale war will not bring residents of northern Israel home, but rather, end their presence there “once and for all.” “[Defense Minister Yoav] Gallant threatens us that if we don’t stop the attacks, he will attack Lebanon to return the residents of the north to their homes,” he says, in a statement quoted in Hebrew media. “I say to Gallant that this war will not only cause the Zionists to not return to their homes but is likely to end their presence in the northern occupied territories once and for all,” he adds, referring to areas in northern Israel claimed by Lebanon. Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there. So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in nine civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 11 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries. Hezbollah has named 289 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 56 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 60 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed. IDF: Aircraft carried out strikes on some 25 targets in Gaza over past day Israeli aircraft carried out strikes against some 25 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. One drone strike hit a rocket launching position that the IDF says was used in previous attacks on the southern city of Ashdod. Another rocket launching site was hit overnight in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, which the IDF says was used in attacks on troops inside Gaza. In central Gaza, the IDF says reservists of the Yiftah Brigade spotted a cell of gunmen preparing to open fire at troops from a building, before calling in a fighter jet airstrike, killing the operatives. Another airstrike directed by troops in central Gaza struck a vehicle with eight Hamas operatives in it, the military says. The IDF says additional airstrikes targeted buildings used by terror groups, weapon depots, underground sites, and other infrastructure. Abbas and Blinken to hold Gaza talks in Riyadh with officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and several international officials will be in Riyadh this week for talks aimed at pushing for a “reconciliation and peace” in Gaza to be held on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting, the WEF’s president says. “We do have the key players now in Riyadh and hopefully the discussions can lead into a process towards reconciliation and peace,” Børge Brende says at a news conference in Riyadh, adding that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis will be on the agenda. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the meetings alongside regional leaders including Qatar’s prime minister, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Oman’s crown prince and Bahraini officials, Brende says. Egypt’s foreign minister, Brende says, will be there to update officials on a round of talks Egyptian negotiators held in Israel on Friday in an effort to restart stalled efforts for a truce in the war in Gaza and to secure the release of the 133 hostages. “There is now a bit of momentum for negotiations on the hostages and also a possible ceasefire,” Brende says. |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 1:51:42 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Terrorist killed by armed civilian
Somebody needs to put together a video with all these drone strikes with Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" as background music Great shot of house taking a direct hit Link to source of articles below IDF says two Palestinians killed after firing at an army outpost in West Bank Rifles found in their car https://img.haarets.co.il/bs/0000018f-1e15-d0a5-abcf-3ffddcae0001/cf/70/d0c4820f4a648ad1975ebb3d2419/menashe.jpg?height=824&width=700 Reports: Israeli airstrike hits city of Daraa in southern Syria New York Times: Biden administration would consider restricting arms sales to Israel if Rafah operation unfolds Brilliant--keep it up Joe, you are doing Hamas's negotiating for them. Safe from seriius retaliation, Hamas has no incentive to free the hostages. IDF says Hamas launch site that targeted Ashdod was struck by the air force Where would Hamas be getting semi-auto m16? Is that really just a civilian ar-15? |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 1:58:41 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By stone-age: Where would Hamas be getting semi-auto m16? Is that really just a civilian ar-15? Iran via Afghanistan? |
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ESP
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Posted: 4/27/2024 2:12:18 PM EDT
[#8]
Israeli fighter jets struck sites in northern Gaza's Beit Lahiya, from which six rockets were launched at the southern city of Sderot and the community of Zikim this morning:
Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon: Israeli fighter jets and artillery forces carried out a wave of strikes against dozens of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon: Two Palestinian terrorists who were attempting to launch rockets at Israel were killed in an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip: Israeli fighter jets struck a building in Aalma ash-Shab that the IDF says is used by Hezbollah, alongside a rocket launching position and additional infrastructure in Kfarchouba. |
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ESP
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Posted: 4/27/2024 2:14:53 PM EDT
[#9]
Israeli bonds are paying very well:
https://israelbondsintl.com/ |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 4:18:22 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By stone-age: Where would Hamas be getting semi-auto m16? Is that really just a civilian ar-15? We know Iran sends weapons and explosives into the West Bank, with the shipments being organized in IRGC bases in Syria. Israel attacked that base the day after they intercepted a shipment in March, killing the QF colonel responsible. Someone said earlier that Iran makes AR 15s. I don't know how the PA security forces were armed, I've only seen them with AKs, but that's another possible source. Stolen in the US and shipped to the Middle East? Kind of far fetched and impractical, but I know criminals in South America get some of their guns that way. @fike knows more about the sources of weapons than I do, hopefully he sees this and comments. I'll see if I can get the ISW or Modern War Institute to give us more info. |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 5:02:19 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#11]
The Hamas terror group has published a new propaganda video showing signs of life from hostages Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 46. In the edited three-minute-long video, Siegel and Miran identify themselves and say they are hoping for a hostage deal that would see them and other hostages returned home. The video is not dated, but Miran says he has been held captive for 202 days and Siegel mentions the Passover holiday, indicating the clips were filmed recently. Siegel, a US citizen, was taken captive with his wife from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7. His wife Aviva Siegel was later released in the November deal. Miran was taken captive by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the onslaught. Hamas has previously issued similar videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is deplorable psychological warfare. Most Israeli media do not carry the video clips themselves. Picture of Avigail, the 4 year old American Israeli girl who lost both her parents on Oct 7th. She was one of the hostages Sinwar said he was going to turn loose and then took off the list at the last minute in a sick attempt at psyops. Obviously she was released in the end.  Attached File
Free ebook/PDF -"The Mini-Manual of the Urban Defender: A Guide to the Strategies and Tactics of Defending a City", by John Spencer of the Modern War Institute. here--Link is straight to the PDF. Link to his website here.
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ESP
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Posted: 4/27/2024 5:33:55 PM EDT
[#12]
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon's Kfarchouba, as well as additional sites in Markaba:
Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes against buildings where Hezbollah terrorist were gathered, in the southern Lebanon towns of Tayr Harfa and Ayta ash-Shab Following the attack, the IDF said it struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon's Chebaa, including a weapons depot and a rocket launcher, and additional sites in Markaba, Kfarchouba, and Ain al-Tineh, the latter of which is some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border. A senior member of the al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya terror group was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon: Police release footage of yesterday's stabbing attack in the central city of Ramle, during which a young woman was seriously wounded. The stabber was shot dead by an armed civilian. An 18-year-old woman is seriously wounded in a suspected terror stabbing attack in the central city of Ramle |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/27/2024 6:48:03 PM EDT
[#13]
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Posted: 4/27/2024 7:27:35 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01:
I really thought Iran was going to bomb that base. |
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Posted: 4/27/2024 7:48:54 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: We know Iran sends weapons and explosives into the West Bank, with the shipments being organized in IRGC bases in Syria. Israel attacked that base the day after they intercepted a shipment in March, killing the QF colonel responsible. Someone said earlier that Iran makes AR 15s. I don't know how the PA security forces were armed, I've only seen them with AKs, but that's another possible source. Stolen in the US and shipped to the Middle East? Kind of far fetched and impractical, but I know criminals in South America get some of their guns that way. @fijke knows more about the sources of weapons than I do, hopefully he sees this and comments. I'll see if I can get the ISW or Modern War Institute to give us more info. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Originally Posted By stone-age: Where would Hamas be getting semi-auto m16? Is that really just a civilian ar-15? We know Iran sends weapons and explosives into the West Bank, with the shipments being organized in IRGC bases in Syria. Israel attacked that base the day after they intercepted a shipment in March, killing the QF colonel responsible. Someone said earlier that Iran makes AR 15s. I don't know how the PA security forces were armed, I've only seen them with AKs, but that's another possible source. Stolen in the US and shipped to the Middle East? Kind of far fetched and impractical, but I know criminals in South America get some of their guns that way. @fijke knows more about the sources of weapons than I do, hopefully he sees this and comments. I'll see if I can get the ISW or Modern War Institute to give us more info. My interest |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/27/2024 8:01:49 PM EDT
[#16]
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Posted: 4/27/2024 8:04:37 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#17]
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Posted: 4/27/2024 9:39:49 PM EDT
[#18]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 27 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Israeli forces continued to target Palestinian fighters and militia infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. The IDF Air Force struck over 25 militia targets across the Strip. The 679th Armored Brigade directed an airstrike targeting Palestinian fighters who the IDF said were preparing to fire at Israeli forces from a building in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF Air Force targeted a vehicle transporting eight Hamas fighters in the. The IDF Air Force also struck a rocket or mortar launch position in Khan Younis as Palestinian fighters prepared to fire from the position. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine targeted Israeli forces east of Khan Younis. The Israeli Defense Ministry began construction of a humanitarian aid distribution area on the coast of the central Gaza Strip. This aid distribution point will service the US-constructed pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least two locations across the West Bank. Lebanon Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least four attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff on April 26. Yemen The Houthis launched three ballistic missiles targeting two commercial vessels in the Red Sea on April 26. The Houthi military spokesperson claimed the attack targeted the Andromeda Star, adding that Houthi forces also shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Saada Governorate, northern Yemen. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed that it launched one drone targeting an unspecified “vital target” in Haifa on April 26.   
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Posted: 4/28/2024 8:09:27 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#19]
Israel, US said working to prevent ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu
Israeli fighter jets and drones struck dozens of sites belonging to terror groups in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. Targets included infrastructure, rocket launching positions, armed operatives, and observation posts, according to the IDF. The Navy also carried out strikes along the coast of central Gaza, largely in support of the 99th Division which is operating in the area, the IDF says. The IDF says the division's Yiftah Reserve Brigade spotted several gunmen near troops in their area of operations yesterday, and called in a drone strike. In another incident, the reservists spotted a cell in a building, and called in artillery shelling and and an airstrike, killing the operatives, the military adds. Wife of man convicted of raising money for Islamic Jihad part of Columbia University protest
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi approved battle plans with the commanders of divisions and brigades at the Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba earlier today. The IDF says the meeting and "approval of plans for the continuation of the war," was attended by the chief of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, and the heads of all of the command's divisions and brigades. The approval of the plans comes ahead of Israel's looming offensive in southern Gaza's Rafah. Link for articles below Yemen's Houthi rebels claim downing U.S. Reaper drone, release footage showing wreckage of aircraft  Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. The Houthis said they shot down the Reaper with a surface-to-air missile, part of a renewed series of assaults this week by the rebels after a relative lull in their pressure campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defense Department spokesperson, acknowledged to The Associated Press on Saturday that "a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen." He said an investigation was underway, without elaborating. The Houthis described the downing as happening Thursday over their stronghold in the country's Saada province. Footage released by the Houthis included what they described as the missile launch targeting the drone, with a man off-camera reciting the Houthi's slogan after it was hit: "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam." Hamas delegation to visit Cairo on Monday for Gaza cease-fire talks, Hamas official says A Hamas delegation, led by the head of the group's negotiating team Khalil al-Hayya, will arrive in Cairo on Monday to continue discussions with senior Egyptian intelligence officials as part of the negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release deal. According to Hamas sources, the latest proposal by Egypt led to progress mainly on the matter of a cease-fire, as well as an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip that would allow for displaced Gazans to return to their homes. Hamas is expected to ask Israel for agreement or guarantees that after the implementation of the deal, there will be no return to fighting. "The hostage card is the only one left as a means of pressure, and Hamas will not lose it without an agreement that Israel will not attack again after it guarantees the return of the hostages," sources said Smotrich to Netanyahu: If you cancel Rafah operation, this government will have no right to exist Israel's Finance Minister and minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if he cancels the operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza, the government he heads would have no right to exist. Smotrich added that for two decades Netanyahu allowed Hamas to grow stronger and that agreeing to a new Egyptian cease-fire and hostage deal proposal it would be "a humiliating surrender, a death sentence for the hostages who are not included in the deal and a danger to the State of Israel Here are the latest updates for day 205 of the war: ■ 26 rocket launched from Lebanon into northern Israel fell in open areas. ■ The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says that 37,454 Palestinians have been killed since October 7. ■ Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demanded an end to the war in Gaza, adding that additional aid must be provided to the Strip. Visiting Saudi Arabia, Abbas claimed that Israel will begin its military offensive in Rafah "in the next few days." ■ The IDF says that it struck Hezbollah targets in the vicinity of the villages of Maroun al-Ras, Tayr Harfa and Yarine in southern Lebanon. ■ More than 200 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at four universities in the United States, according to the New York Times. In Washington University in St. Louis, presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested while demonstrating on campus. ■ Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. ■ France's foreign minister will push proposals to prevent further escalation and a potential war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah during a visit to Lebanon on Sunday. ■ Israel's foreign minister said that a planned incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah could be suspended should there be a deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. |
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Posted: 4/28/2024 5:58:21 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#20]
Link to articles below
AFP report: Hamas official says no 'major' issues with Gaza truce proposal A senior Hamas official told AFP news that there are no 'major' issues with the proposal currently being discussed for a hostage and cease-fire deal between the organization and Israel. "The atmosphere is positive unless there are new Israeli obstacles," the official said.
Israeli fighter jets struck a building in southern Lebanon's Ayta ash-Shab, where a Hezbollah operative was spotted earlier today, the military says. Footage released by the IDF shows the operative entering the building, before an airstrike is carried out. Additionally, the IDF says two projectiles were launched from Lebanon at the Mount Dov area.
Israeli FM warns Israeli missions worldwide of wave of antisemitic acts in light of possible ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials Amid the possibility of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against senior Israeli officials, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed on Sunday that Israeli embassies, consulates and Jewish organizations across the globe prepare for "a wave of severe antisemitism, anti-Jewish, and anti-Israeli outbreaks," according to a statement by his office. "If the warrants are issued, they will harm the commanders and soldiers of the IDF and provide a morale boost to the terrorist organization Hamas and the axis of radical Islam led by Iran against which we are fighting," said Katz, in the statement. "Israel is fighting against a murderous terrorist organization that has attacked it and committed some of the most heinous crimes in history against citizens who stayed in their homes and young people who attended a festival, including serious sexual crimes of rape, murder, and desecration of bodies against women and girls," he added. "Israel acts in strict adherence to all laws of war, with a strong and independent legal system, and allows extensive humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza in cooperation with international bodies, despite Hamas using the population as human shields, attacking, and impeding the provision of assistance," the statement read.
"Hezbollah continues to target Israel with drone attacks and rocket fire. Hezbollah launched several attacks on Israel during the Passover holiday, threatening Israel’s northern coastal cities and communities in northern Israel along the Lebanese border. The attacks illustrate that the Iranian-backed terrorist group refuses to back down. It is essential that Israel receive support to deter Hezbollah from further attacks."
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Posted: 4/28/2024 8:40:19 PM EDT
[#21]
 Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip The IDF Chief of Staff reportedly approved plans for a major operation into Rafah during a meeting with the IDF Southern Command commander and division and brigade commanders. The Israel Defense Forces continued to target Palestinian fighters and militia infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. The IDF Air Force struck dozens of Palestinian militia targets across the Gaza Strip. The 679th Armored Brigade directed an airstrike targeting Palestinian fighters who were approaching Israeli forces. The brigade also directed airstrikes and artillery fire targeting a Palestinian militia cell in a building in the central Strip. The IDF Navy struck targets in the coastal central Gaza Strip to support Israeli forces operating under the command of the 99th Division. Hamas and the al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, which is the self-proclaimed military wing of Fatah and aligned with Hamas in the current war, mortared Israeli armor near the Netzarim corridor in separate attacks on April 28. Palestinian fighters conducted three indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on April 28. Palestinian Islamic Jihad targeted an Israeli military position east of Gaza City. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), which is a leftist Palestinian militia aligned with Hamas in the war, fired rockets at two towns near the Israel-Gaza Strip border. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least two locations across the West Bank. Unspecified Palestinian fighters targeted Israeli forces with improvised explosive devices near a religious site in Bethlehem. Palestinian fighters also targeted Israeli forces with small arms fire while they were conducting a raid in Nablus. Lebanon Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least four attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Hezbollah fighters launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an IDF base on Mount Meron that hosts air traffic control, radar, surveillance, communication, and jamming facilities. The IDF said that at least 26 rockets crossed into Israel and struck open areas near Bar Yohai, injuring one Israeli soldier. Hezbollah stated that the rocket barrage was in response to IDF Air Force strikes in several towns in southern Lebanon.  
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Posted: 4/28/2024 9:38:53 PM EDT
[#22]
Hamas really, really doesn’t want the IDF in Rafah.
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Posted: 4/28/2024 9:51:56 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By fike:Hamas really, really doesn’t want the IDF in Rafah. Besides the hostages and the three surviving Gaza-Hamas leaders, I suspect a good number of their Nukhba troops and trainers are there. It would make sense for Hamas to protect them and retain the capability to rebuild the force when the Israelis leave. |
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Posted: 4/28/2024 10:21:48 PM EDT
[#24]
Meanwhile...
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Posted: 4/29/2024 12:34:45 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By fike: Hamas really, really doesn’t want the IDF in Rafah. That is how you know it is the correct target  |
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Posted: 4/29/2024 9:01:10 AM EDT
[Last Edit: garr]
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By stone-age: Where would Hamas be getting semi-auto m16? Is that really just a civilian ar-15? Probably a typo, or a commie reporter trying to mislead American Karens along the lines of semi autos are weapons of war bullshit. A commie never speaks a word unless it helps push their agenda! |
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Posted: 4/29/2024 9:14:44 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By fike: Hamas really, really doesn’t want the IDF in Rafah. |
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USA
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Posted: 4/29/2024 10:12:31 AM EDT
[#28]
Netanyahu reacts to possible ICC arrest warrant against him Arrest warrants or any other steps taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli officials will not affect the country’s military operation in Gaza, but will set “a dangerous precedent,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned. |
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Posted: 4/29/2024 5:29:24 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#29]
First tunnel demolition we've seen in weeks. Beit Hanoun was one of the first areas in northern Gaza occupied by the IDF.
IDF combat engineers demolished two attack tunnels belonging to the Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups in northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun in recent weeks, the military says. The IDF says the two tunnels were under "continuous intelligence and technological surveillance" since their discovery and until they were demolished. The underground passages did not cross into Israeli territory, according to the IDF.
The IDF announces the deaths of two reservists killed during fighting in the central Gaza Strip yesterday. They are named as: 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. Their deaths bring the toll of slain troops in the IDF's ground offensive against Hamas to 263.
Israeli fighter jets struck a series of Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon a short while ago, the military says. Several buildings at a Hezbollah military compound in the village of Blat, from which a barrage of rockets was fired at the Upper Galilee this morning, were struck by fighter jets, the IDF says. The IDF says additional airstrikes were carried out against buildings used by the terror group in Jebbayn, Khiam, Ayta ash-Shab and Tayr Harfa. Troops also shelled areas near Chebaa with artillery to "remove threats," the military adds.
 Attached File
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Posted: 4/29/2024 5:43:57 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Socio:Netanyahu reacts to possible ICC arrest warrant against him I think the whole idea of international criminal courts is absurd, but it doesn't look like they are going anywhere. If you can't beat them, join them I guess. Maybe it's time the West starts a lawfare campaign of its own. First case can be against Iran for gross violation of a UN arms embargo on the belligerents in Yemen. |
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Posted: 4/29/2024 7:35:47 PM EDT
[#31]
This is a story you likely didn't hear about. A Bedouin Warrant Officer in the IDF was killed on October 7th while defending unarmed female Israeli soldiers from the Hamas onslaught on Nahal Oz. He left behind a wife and four kids.
Link to story. Warrant Officer Ibrahim Kharuba, 39, a tracker in the Gaza Division, from Maghar, was killed on October 7 while battling Hamas terrorists at the Nahal Oz IDF outpost. The base was the site of the slaughter of 14 unarmed female observation soldiers, and the kidnapping of another 7, in a battle that became one of the symbols of the Hamas assault on southern Israel. According to his family, Ibrahim was called to the border area with news of the Hamas invasion. There he fought against terrorists storming into Israel, before he was alerted that a large group had reached the Nahal Oz outpost. He engaged in a gun battle with dozens of terrorists inside the base, trying to protect the young recruits who were huddled in the bomb shelter, before he was killed. He was buried on October 15 in Maghar. He is survived by his wife, Asmaa, their four children, Rafif, Leen, Muhammad and Jan, his parents, Hassan and Hamda, and his siblings Noura, Mahmad, Sleiman, Ahmed, Anwar and Azhar. Eyal Eshel, the father of slain observation soldier Sgt. Roni Eshel, told Kan that he and other relatives of killed lookout soldiers “met with the family of Ibrahim Kharuba, the tracker who was killed and must be remembered. One of the people who fought. We heard that at 11:50 [that morning] he was still fighting and trying to protect the girls.” His brother, Sleiman, told a Kan podcast that “it’s very important that the story of Ibrahim — that the country will understand and know what happened.” “Ibrahim fought until his last moment,” he said. “Until his last breath. Until he fell in the bomb shelter.” Sleiman said that Ibrahim enlisted in the IDF in 2002 and served initially in the Paratroopers Brigade, before setting off on a path as a career officer. “Ibrahim was a great man, he loved to live, he loved sports,” he said, noting that he was also a devoted family man to his wife, children, siblings and parents. “He always loved to help people, when our father had a heart attack he took care of him, he took care of all of us, he gave us support in every sense of the word — physical and mental,” he added. “He loved to help, wherever anyone needed… he helped me in every sense… He is so missed by us, at home, to his kids, they keep asking where he is.” 
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Posted: 4/29/2024 7:52:31 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryOriginally Posted By Socio: Netanyahu reacts to possible ICC arrest warrant against him Arrest warrants or any other steps taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli officials will not affect the country’s military operation in Gaza, but will set “a dangerous precedent,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned. LOL....anyone they send to try and arrest him should be arrested themselves and handed over to Hamas |
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Posted: 4/29/2024 9:42:37 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryWell, if they haven't issued warrants for Hamas leaders responsible for the initial rape and pillage attack...... |
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Posted: 4/29/2024 11:16:30 PM EDT
[#34]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 29 April Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Palestinian sources reported that the IDF Air Force struck targets in Rafah and the central Gaza Strip.The IDF has not published a summary of its activities in the Gaza Strip at the time of this writing. Palestinian militias have continued to target Israeli forces near the Netzarim corridor. The IDF 2nd and 679th brigades are deployed to the Netzarim corridor to secure it, facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid, and conduct targeted raids into the northern and central Gaza Strip. Hamas claimed to “lure” Israeli armor from the Netzarim corridor into an area in Mughraqa where its fighters had set improvised explosive devices and unexploded rockets dropped from Israeli aircraft. A Palestinian journalist claimed that two soldiers from the IDF 99th Division were killed in the Hamas attack. The IDF confirmed the deaths of two soldiers in the Gaza Strip on April 28 but did not specify how they died. Five Palestinian militias separately targeted Israeli positions near the Netzarim corridor with indirect fire. The World Central Kitchen announced the resumption of its humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip. The IDF separately announced the expansion of its humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip. Palestinian fighters conducted four indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on April 29. Palestinian fighters fired two long-range rockets from the Gaza Strip targeting Ashdod. Israeli media reported that the rockets landed off the coast of Ashdod.This attack is the first targeting Ashdod since March 25. Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired rockets targeting two Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip. Three Palestinian militias also claimed a combined rocket attack targeting an IDF site north of the Gaza Strip. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least one location. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades engaged Israeli forces in Jaba, south of Jenin. Israeli police arrested five Israeli settlers in the West Bank on April 28 for “inciting disturbances” following the killing of an Israeli boy on April 12. Israeli authorities charged the five individuals with shooting two Palestinians and setting fire to Palestinian property. Israeli media reported that Israeli settlers committed acts of violence on April 13 in at least eight Palestinian towns in the northern West Bank after the IDF found the body of the missing boy. Southern Lebanon-Golan Heights Iranian-backed militias, including Lebanese Hezbollah, have conducted at least six attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. The al Qassem Brigades, which is the militant wing of Hamas, fired around 20 rockets targeting the IDF 769th Eastern Brigade in Kiryat Shmona. Yemen The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) reported an explosion causing minor damage to the container ship Cyclades 54 nautical miles northwest of Mukha, Yemen, on April 29. UK maritime security firm Ambrey reported that the Houthis fired three missiles targeting a Malta-flagged vessel traveling from Djibouti to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. US Central Command (CENTCOM) intercepted five Houthi drones over the Red Sea. The Italian Defense Ministry separately said on April 29 that one of its naval vessels intercepted a Houthi drone targeting a commercial vessel near the Bab al Mandeb Strait. Politics Hamas is considering an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire deal that would have Hamas release 20 to 33 Israeli hostages alive. Western outlets reported the proposal involves new Israeli concessions. Hamas has not changed its maximalist position in the negotiations since December 2023. Hamas External Political Bureau Deputy Head Musa Abu Marzouk stated that Hamas leadership would move to Jordan if forced from Qatar during an interview with Iranian state-run, Arabic-language network al Alam on April 28. Marzouk stated that “if the leadership of Hamas moves, which Hamas has not said it will do, it will move to Jordan.” Iran Delegations from Russia, North Korea, and several African countries, among others, have traveled to Tehran for an international trade exhibition. The exhibition is part of the Iranian effort to undermine Western sanctions by increasing Iranian exports and economic cooperation with other countries. Iran remains particularly focused on selling military equipment. Iraq Some Iraqi parliamentarians have backed a motion to designate the US ambassador to Iraq as a persona non grata. The parliamentarians are responding to the ambassador condemning a newly passed law that criminalizes homosexuality in Iraq. Syria The Syrian regime reportedly deployed forces to Suwayda Province, as anti-regime activity has continued mounting there. Anti-regime protests have fluctuated across the province since August 2023.  
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Posted: 4/30/2024 9:53:06 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#35]
Link Israel targeted and eliminated an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) operative in Tehran, Iran who was allegedly involved in targeting Jews in Germany, Israeli media, citing an Iran International correspondent, reported on Monday. According to the reports, the eliminated operative had caused damage to Jewish centers in Germany. However, aside from the initial identification, no further information or details about the assassination or confirmation of who was behind it have been released. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 11:34:32 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#36]
April 29 Red Sea Update Between 10:00 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. (Sanaa time) on April 29, Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) and three UAVs from Yemen into the Red Sea towards MV Cyclades, a Malta-flagged, Greece-owned vessel. Initial reports indicate there were no injuries and the vessel continued on its way. Earlier, at 7:49 a.m., U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed one Houthi launched airborne unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a flight path towards USS Philippine Sea and USS Laboon in the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damages reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels. Link to articles below German ambassador's vehicle attacked during West Bank visit. The vehicle of German Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza was hit by stones thrown by crowds during his visit to University of Birzeit just north of the in West Bank city of Ramallah.
A European Union vehicle was attacked at Bir Zeit University, north of Ramallah, today. Use according to section 27 a Police source: Stabber is Turkish citizen who arrived in Israel in last 72 hours, most likely as a tourist A police source said that the assailant in the stabbing attack near Herod's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City is a Turkish citizen who arrived in Israel in the last 72 hours, most likely as a tourist. The attack moderately wounded a 30-year-old police officer. Security camera footage shows the assailant ambushing the officer near a police station. A source in Hamas told the Saudi TV network Al Arabiya that the proposed deal from Israel reflects some of the conditions for a cease-fire set by the organization. More than 34,535 Palestinians have been killed and 77,704 have been wounded in the Israeli military offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Here are the latest updates from day 207 of the war: ■ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told representatives of the hostages' families and bereaved families from Hagvura Forum and Tikva Forum, at a meeting, that the IDF will enter Rafah, with or without a deal. ■ A 30-year-old policeman was moderately wounded from a stabbing attack near Herod's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. The assailant, who a police source said is a Turkish citizen who arrived in Israel in the last 72 hours, was shot. ■ The war cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening has been cancelled. ■ Former U.S. President Donald Trump said, "Oct. 7 should have never happened," and "Everything was there to stop that." ■ According to the Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, 47 people were killed and 61 were wounded in Gaza in the past 24 hours. ■ Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, on talks with Hamas, that Israel is "conducting negotiations with those who should no longer exist," and that Israel must finish the job in Gaza. ■ Crowds threw stones at the vehicle of German Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza during his visit to the University of Birzeit, north of the in West Bank city of Ramallah. ■ The city of Amsterdam plans to seriously restrict attendance to an annual national World War II remembrance ceremony on May 4, in a bid to keep it safe and curb potential disturbances amid tensions over the war in Gaza. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 11:40:10 AM EDT
[#37]
Israel threatened to topple Assad regime if Syria gets involved in Gaza war — report Link
Israel threatened to topple Assad regime if Syria gets involved in Gaza war — report 29 Apr 2024 Syria has avoided getting embroiled in the Gaza war, experts said, despite a strike on a building near Iran’s Damascus consulate, blamed on Israel, that threatened to ignite a regional conflagration. The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is seeking to strike a delicate balancing act between Russia and Iran, which have propped up it up during 13 years of civil war and helped it reclaim lost territory. Syria is part of the so-called Axis of Resistance — an alliance of Iran-backed groups that has launched attacks on Israel or its alleged assets since October. But its other main ally Russia maintains diplomatic ties with Israel and has pushed for stability in Syria’s south, which borders the Golan Heights. “The Israelis clearly warned Assad that if Syria was used against them they would destroy his regime,” said a Western diplomat who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media. Recent months have seen a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, widely blamed on Israel, culminating in an April 1 airstrike that leveled a building next to Tehran’s consulate in Damascus and killed seven commanders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, two of them generals. That strike prompted Iran to launch a first-ever direct missile and drone attack against Israel on April 13-14 that sent regional tensions spiraling. The attacks have also pushed Iran to reduce its military footprint throughout southern Syria, especially in areas bordering the Golan, a source close to Hezbollah and a war monitor told AFP. “Russia and the United Arab Emirates have urged (Assad) to stay away from the conflict,” said Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute. Last year, Syria returned to the Arab fold, seeking better ties with wealthy Gulf states, in hopes they can help fund reconstruction — although Western sanctions are likely to deter investment. In 2018, the United Arab Emirates re-established ties with Syria, and it has been leading the charge to reintegrate Damascus. Syria appears to have heeded Russia and the UAE’s call, and its border with the Golan Heights remains relatively calm despite a handful of strikes launched by Hezbollah-allied groups. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, a UK-based watchdog of unclear funding, says that since the start of the Gaza war only 26 rocket attacks from Syria have targeted the Golan Heights. Most have landed in open areas, “which is read in Washington and elsewhere as a sort of code that Syrian President Bashar Assad wants to stay out of the Gaza conflict,” Tabler said. “Assad hopes the Arabs and the West will compensate him for his restraint, and the Russians are pushing him towards this path,” he said. Earlier this month, Russia’s defense ministry said it had established an additional position in the Syrian part of the Golan, to “monitor the ceasefire and promote de-escalation.” While massive demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza took place in several Arab capitals, Damascus only saw a handful of small pro-Palestinian rallies, witnesses said. Syria has had a difficult relationship with Hamas, whose October 7 onslaught on southern Israel triggered the war, with terrorists killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault. Hamas and Assad reconciled in 2022, a decade after the Palestinian terror group, long allied with Damascus, broke ties over its suppression of largely Sunni protests that triggered Syria’s civil war. Hamas comes from the same ideological school as the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group with origins in Egypt, which Syria considers to be terrorists. “The regime hates Hamas and has no desire to support the Muslim Brotherhood, whose victory could only strengthen their friends in Syria,” the diplomat said. Hamas announced last year the opening of a new page with the Syrian government, but Assad felt that it was still “too early” to talk about a return to normality. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 4/30/2024 11:43:28 AM EDT
[#38]
It feels like it's time for something to break. Israel to enter Rafa, Israel to fold to get hostages, something. No clue what it is. I suspect the US and the Arabs are offering piles of cash to Hamas to turn over hostages to try to calm this down. Biden will always pay the bad guy to be nice for a short period to try to make Joe look good.
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/30/2024 12:25:29 PM EDT
[#39]
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GA, USA
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Posted: 4/30/2024 12:30:37 PM EDT
[#40]
Israel-Saudi deal close to happening:
https://www.jns.org/report-saudi-arabia-has-decided-to-normalize-relations-with-israel/ The only issue for Riyadh is the timing of the announcement, which could come as early as the next few weeks or after the U.S. presidential election. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 1:09:14 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01:
Not sure who "Natsecjeff" is, but excellent isn't a word I'd use to describe ground operations in Lebanon that result in an IDF-manned buffer zone on Lebanese soil. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 1:51:39 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Not sure who "Natsecjeff" is, but excellent isn't a word I'd use to describe ground operations in Lebanon that result in an IDF-manned buffer zone on Lebanese soil. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Originally Posted By GBTX01:
Not sure who "Natsecjeff" is, but excellent isn't a word I'd use to describe ground operations in Lebanon that result in an IDF-manned buffer zone on Lebanese soil. I think he's saying that the clear statement of the case for war is what is excellent and much needed, not that that particular outcome is/would be. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 2:19:37 PM EDT
[#43]
Check this idiocy out..
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Posted: 4/30/2024 4:29:14 PM EDT
[#44]
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Posted: 4/30/2024 4:48:42 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#45]
An IDF investigation into the deaths of two reservists in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday has found that the pair were killed by friendly fire. Master Sgt. (res.) Ido Aviv, 28, of the Yiftah Brigade's 9232nd Battalion and Master Sgt. (res.) Kalkidan Meharim 37, of the Carmeli Brigade's 223rd Battalion, were hit by shelling from a tank that had opened fire outside of its designated boundaries, according to the probe. The probe found that the incident began as an IDF tank was hit by a roadside bomb near the Turkish Hospital in the Netzarim Corridor. Shortly after, mortars and anti-tank missiles were launched toward troops in the corridor area. Amid an exchange of fire with the Hamas operatives, a tank of the Yiftah Brigade left an encampment and shelled a building in the area. The building had been outside of the tank force's designated boundaries, according to the probe. Several troops, including Aviv and Meharim, were in the building when it was hit. The IDF is further investigating the conduct of the troops, which were deployed to Gaza just last week. |
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GA, USA
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Posted: 4/30/2024 7:42:14 PM EDT
[Last Edit: GST]
[#46]
An interesting read about the partnership between Hamas and NGOs:
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Posted: 4/30/2024 8:13:44 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GST: An interesting read about the partnership between Hamas and NGOs:
That makes sense. Some in the Israeli government think one reason Egypt has begun taking a more active role is to avoid letting the world see the extent of smuggling Into Gaza that Egypt permitted and profited from. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 9:17:37 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#48]
Hezbollah began attacking northern Israel on Oct. 8 to support Hamas...Yet by attacking Israel, Hezbollah embroiled itself in a war of attrition that it neither envisioned nor wanted. The terror group is now stuck between its bellicose rhetoric and its fear of a popular backlash if it provokes a more intense confrontation with Israel. The Israelis for years have been content to manage Hezbollah, willing to delay the limited confrontation necessary to gain the upper hand and avoid the international community’s opprobrium. Yet Oct. 7 demonstrated the lethal risk of trying to manage an opponent that is simultaneously planning to launch an attack at the right moment. Entire WSJ analysis article inside spoiler Click To View Spoiler
Told @i24NEWS_EN that Hamas wants to use hostages to guarantee its survival and return to October 6, a position that #Israel will never accept, and hence the gap between the two is unbridgeable. Israel will simply not give Sinwar a ceasefire day for him to come out and flash his victory sign. #Qatar has enormous leverage over Hamas and strong ties with Washington. Is Qatar using its weight with both sides to rein in Hamas or to help Hamas survive the Israeli war? I'd say Qatar is working for Hamas. Finally, #Jordan is already under strain from Islamist #Iran regime breathing down its neck, promising to arm a 12k militia, angry that Amman shot down Iranian drones heading to Israel. Jordan is struggling to stop narcotics coming from Syria on its northern border. Sending Hamas leaders to Amman would further shake the Hashemite monarchy. Link for articles below Israeli military to cut number of reservists serving in West Bank Israel will reduce its military presence in the West Bank as of next month, following a security assessment conducted after Ramadan and the Passover holiday, and an agreement between the security establishment and the West Bank settlements. The IDF will maintain its ability to quickly deploy and arm troops in case of a security incident and will continue to monitor the need to boost troop presence. After the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, thousands of area defense troops were called up for reserve duty, in part within the framework of the IDF's preparations for extreme scenarios. According to the military, area defense in the Central Command has improved significantly since the outbreak of the war and there are currently more than 100,000 reservists stationed alongside the regular forces. According to the plan, a number of area defense soldiers will be permanently stationed in each settlement, in addition to the construction of more fortified positions, adding more patrols, deploying more obstacles and lookout points, increasing the number of gun permits and bolstering the settlements' security squads. Here are the latest updates on day 207 of the war ■ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel. Blinken is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and President Isaac Herzog, and also plans to visit the Kerem Shalom crossing. ■ Sources in Hamas said the organization demands guarantees that Israel will not resume fighting in Gaza in the coming months as a condition to finalize a deal to release hostages. ■ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Jordanian King Abdullah II and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi, during his visit in Amman, Jordan, to discuss efforts of reaching a cease-fire deal to release the hostages, securing a lasting peace in the region and increasing aid to Gaza. ■ Blinken also met with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag in Amman to discuss aid efforts for Gaza. ■ A sea pier being built to deliver aid to Gaza will be ready in a week, according to Blinken. ■ The top UN court rejected a request by Nicaragua to order Germany to halt military and other aid to Israel and renew funding to UNRWA. ■ Interior Minister Moshe Arbel denied a request by UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini to enter the Gaza Strip via Israel. Close associates of the minister said the decision was due to the evidence of UNRWA employees' involvement in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. ■ Some 200 people are protesting for the release of the hostages on Begin Street, near the army's headquarters in Tel Aviv. ■ The Hostage and Missing Families Forum contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding to meet on Wednesday to receive an update on the negotiations for a deal with Hamas. ■ The Israel Defense Forces' preliminary investigation into the deaths of two reservists in Gaza on Sunday found that they were killed by an IDF tank shell that was fired at the building in which they were staying, due to a mistaken identification. ■ After anti-Israel protesters barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall, Columbia University announced that students occupying the main campus building will be expelled. ■ Rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah have expressed the will to seek reconciliation through dialogue at unity talks in Beijing, China's foreign ministry said. |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 9:41:47 PM EDT
[#49]
Biden administration considering giving refugees from Gaza permanent safe haven in the U.S. with access to housing and a pathway to citizenship
The Biden administration is considering allowing some Palestinians to come live in the United States as refugees. CBS News reported Tuesday that senior officials across several federal agencies have discussed how to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, potentially using the United States Refugee Admissions Program. The individuals chosen would have to have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent residents. They would have to pass a series of eligibility, medical and security screenings, but would then be able to obtain resettlement benefits, including housing assistance and a pathway to American citizenship. If the administration goes ahead with this plan it would mark a major change in U.S. policy.  More |
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Posted: 4/30/2024 10:49:03 PM EDT
[#50]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 30 April Key Takeaways Gaza Strip Israeli political and military officials suggested that an Israeli clearing operation into Rafah could begin within the next few days. Unspecified security officials told Israeli Army Radio that the operation into Rafah will begin if Hamas does not accept the current Egyptian ceasefire proposal. The IDF indicated on April 30 that two divisions are ready for a ground operation into Rafah. The IDF said on April 30 that the 162nd and 98th divisions “completed combat readiness operations” and their commanders approved operational plans for future operations in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces continued to target Palestinian fighters and militia infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. The IDF 99th Division directed airstrikes targeting a weapons warehouse and fighters approaching Israeli forces in the central Gaza Strip. The Air Force also struck tunnel shafts, rocket and anti-tank guided missile launch sites, and other military infrastructure in northern Gaza.] The IDF 679th Amored Reserve Brigade continued operations in the central Gaza Strip. PIJ mortared an Israeli base along the Netzarim corridor. Palestinian militias have claimed almost daily indirect fire attacks targeting Israeli forces near the Netzarim corridor. Al Jazeera aired footage produced by Hamas purporting to demonstrate a new Hamas bounding mine. Bounding mines use a small charge to propel themselves a few feet into the air before detonating and spraying shrapnel outwards. The weapon has a similar tactical application to anti-personnel mines. The Hamas promotional video contained scenes of Hamas fighters testing the mine buried and stuck to Israeli tanks. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least six locations in the West Bank. PIJ’s Nablus Battalion shot at Israeli forces operating in Askar camp, east of Nablus. Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades “special unit” shot at Israeli forces at the Sanuz checkpoint in Tulkarm. A Turkish national stabbed two Israeli security forces officers near Herod’s Gate, Jerusalem on April 30. The attacker wounded one officer in the attack. The two Israeli officers shot and killed the attacker. Unspecified Israeli defense officials claimed that the man entered Israel on a tourist visa. The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement applauded the stabbing and called on Palestinian civilians to conduct similar attacks. Palestinian media reported that unidentified Palestinian fighters rammed an IDF officer with their vehicle near Bartaa in Jenin Governorate. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least six attacks from southern Lebanon. The IDF confirmed that six anti-tank missiles were fired from southern Lebanon towards Metulla and damaged a building. Yemen United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles and three UAVs from Houthi-controlled territory toward Malta-flagged, Greek-owned MV Cyclades. CENTCOM separately destroyed one Houthi-launched drone targeting the USS Philippine Sea and the USS Laboon in the Red Sea.  
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