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Posted: 5/17/2024 11:12:16 AM EDT
[#1]
The military says it carried out strikes against some 10 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon a short while ago, including buildings were terrorist were gathered.
The military says it demolished a tunnel in the central Gaza Strip this week, amid an operation in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood. The Israeli military confirms carrying out strikes against facilities in southern Lebanon's Najjarieh, which it says were used by Hezbollah air defense unit. The Israeli military says its 98th Division has pushed deeper into northern Gaza's Jabaliya and expanded its "operational control" in the area. |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 11:19:57 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#2]
Hezbollah is not Hamas--the Counter Terrorism Center at West Point considers them the best militant group when it comes to being a "learning organization".
A unique and sad statistic - this evening, the number of Red Alerts in the conflict line in the north of Israel exceeded the number of alarms in the south, including 10/7. A significant war that will make the Gaza war look like a walk in the park is fast approaching
Approx. 75 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon toward Israeli territory earlier today. Thanks to our aerial defense systems, dozens were intercepted. Before this barrage, we identified and struck a Hezbollah launcher in the area of Yaroun. This launcher was ready to fire additional rockets toward our civilians.
Entire article mentioned in tweet. Direct link. BEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah this week struck a military post in northern Israel using a drone that fired two missiles. The attack wounded three soldiers, one of them seriously, according to the Israeli military. Hezbollah has regularly fired missiles across the border with Israel over the past seven months, but the one on Thursday appears to have been the first successful missile airstrike it has launched from within Israeli airspace. The group has stepped up its attacks on Israel in recent weeks, particularly since the Israeli incursion into the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. It has struck deeper inside Israel and introduced new and more advanced weaponry. “This is a method of sending messages on the ground to the Israeli enemy, meaning that this is part of what we have, and if needed we can strike more,” said Lebanese political analyst Faisal Abdul-Sater who closely follows Hezbollah. While the cross-border exchanges of fire have been ongoing since early October, “complex attacks” by Hezbollah began a few days after Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile barrage attack on Israel in mid-April. In the past two weeks, Hezbollah has escalated further in response to the Israeli incursion into the city of southern Rafah in the Gaza Strip, a Lebanese official familiar with the group’s operations said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to detail military information to the media. The Thursday afternoon attack by a drone carrying missiles came just days after Hezbollah launched three anti-tank guided missiles at an Israeli military post that controlled a surveillance balloon flying over the border. They released camera footage afterward to show they had hit their mark. Hours later, the Israeli military confirmed that the spy balloon had been shot down over Lebanon. The night before, Hezbollah had carried out its deepest attack in Israel to date using explosive drones to strike at a base in Ilaniya near the city of Tiberias about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Lebanon border. The Israeli military said the attack did not hurt anyone. Abdul-Sater, the analyst, said the Iran-led coalition known as the axis of resistance, which includes the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has warned that if Israeli troops launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah in an attempt to go after Hamas, other fronts will also escalate. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed Wednesday that they attacked a U.S. destroyer while Iran-backed militants in Iraq have said they fired a series of drones toward Israel in recent weeks after having gone relatively quiet since February. Hezbollah’s use of more advanced weaponry, including drones capable of firing missiles, explosive drones and the small type of guided missile known as Almas, or Diamond, that was used to attack the base controlling the balloon has raised alarms within the Israeli military. “Hezbollah has been escalating the situation in the north,” said military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani. “They’ve been firing more and more.” In adapting its attacks, Hezbollah has also managed to reduce the numbers of fighters lost compared with the early weeks of the conflict. The group has lost more than 250 fighters so far, compared with 15 Israeli troops since fighting broke out along the Lebanon-Israel border a day after the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7. According to a count by The Associated Press, Hezbollah lost 47 fighters in October and 35 in November, compared with 20 in April and 12 so far this month. The official familiar with the group’s operations said Hezbollah had reduced the numbers of fighters along the border areas to bring down the numbers of casualties. While Hezbollah continues to fire Russian-made anti-tank Kornet missiles from areas close to the border, it has also shifted to firing drones and other types of rockets with heavy warheads — including Almas as well as Falaq and Burkan rockets — from areas several kilometers (miles) from the border. Over the weekend, Hezbollah said it had launched a new rocket with a heavy warhead named Jihad Mughniyeh after a senior operative who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on southern Syria in 2015. Eva J. Koulouriotis, a political analyst specialized in the Middle East and jihadi groups wrote on the social media platform X that Hezbollah’s recent escalation likely has several goals, including raising the ceiling of the group’s demands in any future negotiations for a border deal, as well as raising military pressure on Israel’s military in light of the preparations for the battle in Rafah. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed in a speech last week that “we will stand, we will achieve our goals, we will hit Hamas, we will destroy Hezbollah, and we will bring security.” On Monday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah reiterated in a speech that there will be no end to the fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border until Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip come to an end. "The main goal of Lebanon’s front is to contribute to the pressure on the enemy to end the war on Gaza,” Nasrallah said. His comments were a blow to attempts by foreign dignitaries, including U.S. and French officials, who have visited Beirut t o try to put an end to the violence that has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. A day after Nasrallah spoke, Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly visited Beirut and told Lebanon’s private LBC TV station that she was pushing for a cease-fire. “We need the people living in the south of Lebanon to be able to go back to their homes,” she said. “We need to make sure that the Israelis living in the northern part of Israel are able to get back to their homes also.” Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Kassim warned Israel in a speech over the weekend against opening an all-out war. “You have tried in the past and you were defeated and if you try again you will be defeated,” said Kassim, referring to the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah 34-day war that ended in a draw.
First evidence of Iranian SAYYAD-2 SAM in Hezbollah's hands - Short video taken in Lebanon near Zahrani river (as claimed in social media) shows the motor segment of the missile.
This is becoming the new norm. Oct. 7 opened a Pandora’s box of many things, and one is to change the goalposts about what is now normal or even considered a big deal. Sadly this is one of the other ramifications of not preventing the horrid attack, is the shifting attitudes to what is permissible and the government reaction in general to law and order everywhere (meaning there is no law and order now)  Attached File
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Posted: 5/17/2024 12:14:21 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Hezbollah is not Hamas--the Counter Terrorism Center at West Point considers them the best militant group when it comes to being a "learning organization".
Entire article mentioned in tweet. Direct link.
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/501718/IMG_1751_jpeg-3216329.JPG
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Hezbollah is not Hamas--the Counter Terrorism Center at West Point considers them the best militant group when it comes to being a "learning organization".
A unique and sad statistic - this evening, the number of Red Alerts in the conflict line in the north of Israel exceeded the number of alarms in the south, including 10/7. A significant war that will make the Gaza war look like a walk in the park is fast approaching
Approx. 75 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon toward Israeli territory earlier today. Thanks to our aerial defense systems, dozens were intercepted. Before this barrage, we identified and struck a Hezbollah launcher in the area of Yaroun. This launcher was ready to fire additional rockets toward our civilians.
Entire article mentioned in tweet. Direct link. BEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah this week struck a military post in northern Israel using a drone that fired two missiles. The attack wounded three soldiers, one of them seriously, according to the Israeli military. Hezbollah has regularly fired missiles across the border with Israel over the past seven months, but the one on Thursday appears to have been the first successful missile airstrike it has launched from within Israeli airspace. The group has stepped up its attacks on Israel in recent weeks, particularly since the Israeli incursion into the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. It has struck deeper inside Israel and introduced new and more advanced weaponry. “This is a method of sending messages on the ground to the Israeli enemy, meaning that this is part of what we have, and if needed we can strike more,” said Lebanese political analyst Faisal Abdul-Sater who closely follows Hezbollah. While the cross-border exchanges of fire have been ongoing since early October, “complex attacks” by Hezbollah began a few days after Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile barrage attack on Israel in mid-April. In the past two weeks, Hezbollah has escalated further in response to the Israeli incursion into the city of southern Rafah in the Gaza Strip, a Lebanese official familiar with the group’s operations said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to detail military information to the media. The Thursday afternoon attack by a drone carrying missiles came just days after Hezbollah launched three anti-tank guided missiles at an Israeli military post that controlled a surveillance balloon flying over the border. They released camera footage afterward to show they had hit their mark. Hours later, the Israeli military confirmed that the spy balloon had been shot down over Lebanon. The night before, Hezbollah had carried out its deepest attack in Israel to date using explosive drones to strike at a base in Ilaniya near the city of Tiberias about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Lebanon border. The Israeli military said the attack did not hurt anyone. Abdul-Sater, the analyst, said the Iran-led coalition known as the axis of resistance, which includes the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has warned that if Israeli troops launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah in an attempt to go after Hamas, other fronts will also escalate. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed Wednesday that they attacked a U.S. destroyer while Iran-backed militants in Iraq have said they fired a series of drones toward Israel in recent weeks after having gone relatively quiet since February. Hezbollah’s use of more advanced weaponry, including drones capable of firing missiles, explosive drones and the small type of guided missile known as Almas, or Diamond, that was used to attack the base controlling the balloon has raised alarms within the Israeli military. “Hezbollah has been escalating the situation in the north,” said military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani. “They’ve been firing more and more.” In adapting its attacks, Hezbollah has also managed to reduce the numbers of fighters lost compared with the early weeks of the conflict. The group has lost more than 250 fighters so far, compared with 15 Israeli troops since fighting broke out along the Lebanon-Israel border a day after the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7. According to a count by The Associated Press, Hezbollah lost 47 fighters in October and 35 in November, compared with 20 in April and 12 so far this month. The official familiar with the group’s operations said Hezbollah had reduced the numbers of fighters along the border areas to bring down the numbers of casualties. While Hezbollah continues to fire Russian-made anti-tank Kornet missiles from areas close to the border, it has also shifted to firing drones and other types of rockets with heavy warheads — including Almas as well as Falaq and Burkan rockets — from areas several kilometers (miles) from the border. Over the weekend, Hezbollah said it had launched a new rocket with a heavy warhead named Jihad Mughniyeh after a senior operative who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on southern Syria in 2015. Eva J. Koulouriotis, a political analyst specialized in the Middle East and jihadi groups wrote on the social media platform X that Hezbollah’s recent escalation likely has several goals, including raising the ceiling of the group’s demands in any future negotiations for a border deal, as well as raising military pressure on Israel’s military in light of the preparations for the battle in Rafah. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed in a speech last week that “we will stand, we will achieve our goals, we will hit Hamas, we will destroy Hezbollah, and we will bring security.” On Monday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah reiterated in a speech that there will be no end to the fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border until Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip come to an end. "The main goal of Lebanon’s front is to contribute to the pressure on the enemy to end the war on Gaza,” Nasrallah said. His comments were a blow to attempts by foreign dignitaries, including U.S. and French officials, who have visited Beirut t o try to put an end to the violence that has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. A day after Nasrallah spoke, Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly visited Beirut and told Lebanon’s private LBC TV station that she was pushing for a cease-fire. “We need the people living in the south of Lebanon to be able to go back to their homes,” she said. “We need to make sure that the Israelis living in the northern part of Israel are able to get back to their homes also.” Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Kassim warned Israel in a speech over the weekend against opening an all-out war. “You have tried in the past and you were defeated and if you try again you will be defeated,” said Kassim, referring to the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah 34-day war that ended in a draw.
First evidence of Iranian SAYYAD-2 SAM in Hezbollah's hands - Short video taken in Lebanon near Zahrani river (as claimed in social media) shows the motor segment of the missile.
This is becoming the new norm. Oct. 7 opened a Pandora’s box of many things, and one is to change the goalposts about what is now normal or even considered a big deal. Sadly this is one of the other ramifications of not preventing the horrid attack, is the shifting attitudes to what is permissible and the government reaction in general to law and order everywhere (meaning there is no law and order now) https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/501718/IMG_1751_jpeg-3216329.JPG
Hezbollah taught the Sunni and Shiite militias in Iraq about IEDs. They used the lessons learned in Lebanon (IED triggers, disguising them as rocks, trash, EFPs, etc) against Israel to kill and maim thousands of US troops in Iraq |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 12:17:46 PM EDT
[#4]
It's unfortunate the disregard for what Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian proxies are allowed to do towards a civilian population while the push against IDF and civilian Palestinian casualties is scrutinized. I'm not saying Osrael should carpet bomb civilian populations but it's looking like a tougher war is looming. Proxies can keep stepping up attacks but in reality what can Israel do other than broadly invade, create a DMZ around their perimeter and indiscriminately attack anything entering. With the availability of drones, even this would have little effect.
A lot of rambling, but just my thoughts watching it all play out . |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 12:44:29 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Weasel_Master: It's unfortunate the disregard for what Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian proxies are allowed to do towards a civilian population while the push against IDF and civilian Palestinian casualties is scrutinized. I'm not saying Osrael should carpet bomb civilian populations but it's looking like a tougher war is looming. Proxies can keep stepping up attacks but in reality what can Israel do other than broadly invade, create a DMZ around their perimeter and indiscriminately attack anything entering. With the availability of drones, even this would have little effect. A lot of rambling, but just my thoughts watching it all play out . Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Weasel_Master: It's unfortunate the disregard for what Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian proxies are allowed to do towards a civilian population while the push against IDF and civilian Palestinian casualties is scrutinized. I'm not saying Osrael should carpet bomb civilian populations but it's looking like a tougher war is looming. Proxies can keep stepping up attacks but in reality what can Israel do other than broadly invade, create a DMZ around their perimeter and indiscriminately attack anything entering. With the availability of drones, even this would have little effect. A lot of rambling, but just my thoughts watching it all play out . Israel has made clear their intentions in the event of a war in Lebanon. Writing for the Institute for National Security Studies, Giora Eiland,a retired IDF general who was the head of Israel's National Security Council said: The State of Israel failed in the Second Lebanon War because it targeted the wrong enemy: Israel fought against Hizbollah instead of fighting against the Republic of Lebanon. This article argues that pitted against Hizbollah, a terrorist organization benefiting from state sponsorship, Israel must change its strategy and fight the sponsoring state if and when the next war erupts. Serious damage to the Republic of Lebanon can influence Hizbollah’s behavior more than anything else. Israel must convey this message and its intention both clearly and immediately. Link to PDF of 17 page article. From the article's conclusion:  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 1:15:25 PM EDT
[#6]
Link to articles below
 Attached FileIDF retrieves three bodies of Israeli hostages from Gaza, spokesperson says IDF Spokeperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari announced on Friday that the bodies of hostages Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, and Itzhak Gelerenter who were taken hostage from the Nova Rave, were retrieved by the Israeli army from the Strip. According to the army, the three ran from the rave to the Mefalsim Junction, where they murdered by Hamas terrorists and their bodies were taken into Gaza. The bodies were retrieved in a joint Shin Bet and IDF operation based on intelligence indications. Shani Louk was the young woman the murderers had in the back of their truck while they drove all around Gaza. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/17/2024 1:29:56 PM EDT
[Last Edit: GBTX01]
[#7]
The alleged Israeli strike in the Majdal Aanjar area, on the Lebanon-Syria border, killed Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas official in charge of the terror group's operations in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, two security sources tell Reuters. The strike also killed another Hamas member, the sources add according to the report. Operation Whak-A-Hezbi is kicking into high gear. I bet Hezi leaders aren't trusting anyone right now and paranoia is in high gear.  |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 1:36:01 PM EDT
[Last Edit: BM1455]
[#8]
Not sure why tweet isn't showing but whatever... |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 1:40:03 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BM1455:
Not sure why tweet isn't showing but whatever... The Israelis did that before, and that was what the Gazans and their useful idiots considered proof of Israeli summary executions. As if the Israelis would be dumb enough to commit Saddam Hussein-style open air executions, knowing their soldiers would video everything. Then burying their victims next to hospitals in areas they would no longer control, knowing full well that they'd be discovered at some point in time. |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 1:41:36 PM EDT
[Last Edit: BM1455]
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: You left the 'x'. I just copied the linky at X like I always do. 
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Posted: 5/17/2024 2:41:34 PM EDT
[#11]
Israel's IDF said today that "The bodies of the hostages Yitzhak Gelernter, Shani Louk, and Amit Buskila were rescued overnight during a joint IDF and ISA operation. Based on verified intelligence in our possession, Yitzhak Gelernter, Shani Louk, and Amit Buskila were murdered during the October 7th Massacre at the Mefalsim Intersection, and their bodies were abducted to Gaza."
This is a reminder that Hamas has not been charged with crimes against humanity yet and it continued to receive a lot of backing from intl NGOs...and it is ALSO a reminder of how so many voices tried to prevent an IDF operation in Gaza because they wanted to let Hamas keep holding bodies as leverage, just as Hamas did with the bodies of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, which Hamas illegally held for a decade and which Hamas continues to hold.
The criminal organization Hamas holds living and dead hostages in Gaza. In some cases it took them to medical facilities where they were likely seen by all the intl orgs that work there...but those orgs have a kind of omerta with the Hamas cartel...and so they don't speak up about this group.
A number of NGOs continue to talk about Hamas as "law and order" and praise it quietly...how is it "law and order" to parade the dead body of a person through the streets as Hamas did with Shani Louk on October 7. What I don't understand that there isn't one condemnation for what Hamas did from the Red Cross, UN or so many of these groups. Many NGOs continue to quietly partner with Hamas and prefer Hamas rule to the PA. Why? There is something deeply disgusting about it. Link to entire thread at threadreaderapp. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/17/2024 4:41:06 PM EDT
[Last Edit: GBTX01]
[#12]
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Posted: 5/17/2024 5:23:49 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01:
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01:
Excellent. Jama'a al-Islamiyya is a militant group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, sort of like Hamas' cousins. The IDF has been killing these guys on a regular basis, this is the third I can remember.
The Israeli military confirms carrying out an airstrike in eastern Lebanon's Majdal Anjar, close to the border with Syria, killing a top al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya operative who worked alongside Hamas. The IDF says the drone strike targeted and killed Sharhabil Sayed. Sayed, according to the IDF, was a senior member of al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya who "led and advanced numerous terror attacks from Lebanese territory against Israel in [Lebanon's] eastern region in the recent period... in cooperation with the Lebanon branch of the Hamas terrorist organization." Hamas in an official statement claimed Sayed as a commander in the terror group. The IDF says the strike was aimed at "causing a blow to the organization's abilities to advance and carry out terror operations that it had planned in the recent period and in the near future against the State of Israel on the northern border." It publishes footage of the strike.
Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon's Deir Seryan earlier, which the military says was used in a barrage on the Golan Heights earlier today. Another building and additional infrastructure belonging to the terror group in Kfarhamam and Odaisseh were also struck a short while ago, the IDF adds. |
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ESP
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Posted: 5/17/2024 5:47:53 PM EDT
[#14]
Earlier today, IDF forces identified a launcher belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Yaraon region that was ready to launch launches towards Israeli territory.
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Posted: 5/17/2024 6:25:26 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#15]
Two top Biden administration officials held indirect talks with Iranian counterparts this week in an effort to avoid escalating regional attacks, Axios reported on Friday. The conversations marked the first round of discussions between the US and Iran since January, according to Axios. Hamas says it rejects any military presence on Palestinian land. Link Hamas issued a statement on Friday saying the U.S.-built pier off the Gaza Strip is no alternative to opening all land crossings under Palestinian supervision, adding that they reject any military presence on Palestinian land. |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 7:50:32 PM EDT
[#16]
Kill Hamas. Kill ALL Hamas.
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Posted: 5/17/2024 9:32:21 PM EDT
[#17]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 17 May Key Takeaways Gaza Strip The IDF began clearing operations in Jabalia on May 11 and reached the city center on May 17. Palestinian militias have maintained the highest daily attack rate of the war in Jabalia. Israeli officers told Israeli media that the engagements with Palestinian fighters, both above and below ground, have been the "most violent" of the war, highlighting the challenges of maneuvering through the narrow alleys of the refugee camp. The militias carried out 22 attacks in the last 24 hours in the sector, disrupting Israeli lines of communication east of the Jabalia refugee camp and forcing the IDF to change its supply routines. Israeli forces have killed 200 Palestinian and detained 40 militants in this operation. Commercially available satellite imagery shows a newly cleared track along the Shaashaa Road east of Jabalia, indicating Israeli efforts to build and protect a road to support operations in Jabalia. Israeli forces originally cleared terrain along the Shaashaa Road in late 2023. The IDF published a summary of its activity in Zaytoun neighborhood, southern Gaza City, after completing a re-clearing operation there on May 16. Israeli forces initially launched the operation in Zaytoun on May 8, marking the third time that the IDF has conducted a clearing operation there. IDF forces destroyed rocket launchers, a Hamas headquarters, tunnels, and a lathe used in weapons production. The Air Force struck more than 100 targets in the area. Israeli forces continued clearing operations in several areas of eastern Rafah. The IDF 401st Brigade destroyed rocket launch sites and found launchers for long-range rockets. Israeli forces located and destroyed several tunnel shafts in the area. Israel has identified nearly 700 tunnel shafts in Rafah; approximately 50 of the tunnels cross into Egyptian territory. Hamas uses the tunnels to smuggle weapons into Gaza and to smuggle hostages or Hamas senior operatives out. Palestinian militias targeted Israeli command positions and forces in eastern Rafah—including at the Rafah crossing—with rocket and mortar fire. Israeli forces recovered the bodies of three hostages in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian fighters killed the three hostages during Hamas’ October 7 attack at the Nova music festival and took the bodies into the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces located the bodies using information from detained Palestinian fighters. Aid trucks began transporting supplies from the US-constructed offshore pier into the Gaza Strip. The United Kingdom supplied the aid and has been coordinating logistics in Cyprus, where the aid is inspected. The World Food Programme will deliver the aid to other agencies or distribute it directly. The Washington Post published satellite images that show the development and size of Israeli forward operating bases along the Netzarim Corridor south of Gaza City. Israeli forces have established forward operating bases along the corridor, which runs east-west across the Gaza Strip, to facilitate future raids into the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli media published an Israeli government document that details the cost of an Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip. The occupation would cost 20 billion NIS (roughly 5 billion USD) per year and require five permanent IDF divisions to be stationed in the Strip. The IDF would be required to dramatically increase the number of reserve soldiers and reduce its forces in IDF Northern and Central Command. Palestinian militias conducted at least two indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel on May 17. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Resistance Committees fired rockets from Jabalia refugee camp in a combined attack on Sderot. Palestinian militias have been increasingly firing rockets at Sderot as Israeli forces advance in Jabalia. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least four locations in the West Bank in the last 24 hours. Palestinian Islamic Jihad attacked Israeli forces with small arms and IEDs during IDF operations in Tubas. Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked an Israeli truck driver and set fire to his truck in Kochav Hashachar, northeast of Ramallah, on May 16. The settlers believed the truck was transporting humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least 13 attacks into northern Israel. Militants fired 75 "munitions” from Lebanon targeting Israeli territory; the IDF intercepted dozens of them. Hezbollah fired 50 rockets at an Israeli logistics base in the Golan Heights and a rocket salvo at Israeli forces in al Zaoura in northern Israel. An IDF drone strike killed a Hamas commander in Majdal Anjar in the Bekaa. A source close to Hamas told Agence France-Presse that the commander was responsible for Hamas activity in the Bekaa region. An IDF airstrike in Najariyah, southern Lebanon killed a senior Hezbollah air force commander responsible for drone attacks. Iran Former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Mohsen Rezaei claimed that Iran launched 162 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 100 ballistic missiles during its April 13 drone and missile attack on Israel. Iranian officials have said Iran has adopted a new “equation” for confronting Israel--Iran will retaliate by launching attacks targeting Israel directly from Iranian territory should Israel attack Iran or Iranian targets abroad. Yemen Houthi Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Sarea claimed that Houthi air defenses shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over a Houthi-controlled area of Ma’rib Governorate, Yemen. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed one drone attack targeting Israel. Humanitarian Aid Aid trucks began transporting supplies from the US-constructed offshore pier into the Gaza Strip. Post-War Governance Hamas is continuing to discuss its desired political end state in which a Hamas-influenced government governs the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu separately suggested he would be open to a post-war Gaza that excludes the Palestinian Authority. Several senior Israeli officials have recently criticized Netanyahu for his unwillingness to define a post-war plan.    
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/17/2024 11:36:17 PM EDT
[#18]
Israel Lifts the Veil on Gaza-Egypt Terror Tunnel Network
Nearly 700 tunnel shafts have been identified in Rafah, with ~50 tunnels crossing into Egypt, revealed @DrGiladNoam at today's sham @CIJ_ICJ hearing. Those tunnels are used to smuggle weapons to Hamas and can be used to smuggle senior terrorists and/or hostages out of Gaza. |
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Posted: 5/17/2024 11:42:36 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01: Israel Lifts the Veil on Gaza-Egypt Terror Tunnel Network
Nearly 700 tunnel shafts have been identified in Rafah, with ~50 tunnels crossing into Egypt, revealed @DrGiladNoam at today's sham @CIJ_ICJ hearing. Those tunnels are used to smuggle weapons to Hamas and can be used to smuggle senior terrorists and/or hostages out of Gaza. Now we see one reason why Egypt wants to keep the IDF out of Rafah City. And I'm really surprised the whole Strip didn't just collapse into a giant sinkhole given all the tunnels. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/17/2024 11:53:42 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Now we see one reason why Egypt wants to keep the IDF out of Rafah City. And I'm really surprised the whole Strip didn't just collapse into a giant sinkhole given all the tunnels. At a minimum Israel has to control all borders with Gaza as a DMZ. Obviously, they can't trust Egypt to prevent Tunnels and elict trade. The only way going forward to limit the flow of illegal items is for all of it to go through Israeli controlled checkpoints. |
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USA
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Posted: 5/18/2024 12:15:58 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Now we see one reason why Egypt wants to keep the IDF out of Rafah City. Egypt and somebody else. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/18/2024 12:40:30 AM EDT
[#22]
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Posted: 5/18/2024 7:26:06 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#23]
Bodies of three hostages retrieved from Gaza found in bags; investigation into their dates of death continues
The bodies of hostages Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, and Itzhak Gelerenter that were retrieved by the Israeli army from Gaza on Friday, were found wrapped in a bag. The relevant investigative authorities have not yet confirmed if Buskila and Gelerenter were murdered on October 7 and their bodies taken to Gaza, or if they died during their time in captivity. Louk's death on October 7 was confirmed on October 30 after a bone from the base of her skull was found by Israeli Defense Force soldiers. Nissim Louk, Shani's father, told Channel 13 News on Friday the IDF had informed family members that her "body was found in some deep and cold tunnel in the north of the Gaza Strip, so it is in excellent condition. We didn't know what we would get, if anything at all, and this is a gift for us. This is the closing of a circle. The tormented soul knew that there was a hole in the heart somewhere in Gaza, and now we have received a final answer. Now she will be able to find her place in the cemetery in the Srigim forest." IDF: Senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad killed in airstrike in Rafah. This is the type of targeted killing that can seriously diminish insurgent capabilities. The IDF spokesperson announced that during an operation in eastern Rafah, a key Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative was killed in an airstrike. He served at the head of logistics in Rafah's brigade. British security firm: Panama-flagged oil tanker 'attacked' near coast of Yemen British security firm Ambrey said it had received information that a Panama-flagged crude oil tanker was reportedly "attacked" approximately 10 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Mocha. It added that the communication indicated vessel was hit by a missile.
Israeli fighter jets struck a rocket launcher and buildings used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Kounine and Khiam overnight, the military says. The IDF says it also shelled areas near Hanine with artillery to "remove threats." This morning, two projectiles were fired toward the Biranit army base on the Lebanon border. The IDF says no injuries or damage were caused in the attack.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 70 targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day, the military says, as ground forces operate in Rafah, Jabaliya, and the Netzarim Corridor. According to the IDF, the targets included weapon depots, infrastructure, and buildings belonging to terror groups, as well as operatives. One of the airstrikes in Rafah hit a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative, who the IDF says was head of logistics for the terror group in the city in southern Gaza. "As part of his role, he was responsible for preparing the enemy for the IDF maneuver in Rafah," the military says. In eastern Rafah, the military says troops of the Givati Brigade spotted and killed an RPG-wielding operative in a building near them. Givati troops raided several sites in the area, locating weapons, the IDF adds. Also in eastern Rafah, the Egoz commando unit located a rocket launcher at a building used by terror groups, the IDF says. Meanwhile in Jabaliya in the Strip's north, the IDF says the Paratroopers Brigade killed several gunmen during several engagements; the 7th Armored Brigade located a primed rocket launcher and killed several more gunmen in battles; and the 460th Armored Brigade located several tunnel shafts and killed an RPG-wielding operative. In the Strip's center, the 99th Division continued to battle gunmen in the Netzarim Corridor area, including by calling in airstrikes, the IDF says. In one incident in central Gaza, troops of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted a cell that had fired RPGs at troops and directed a drone to strike and kill the operatives, the army adds.
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Posted: 5/18/2024 7:37:43 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#24]
Watch the video
Israeli media: Qatar asked Hamas leadership to depart for a short time in April after hostage negotiations with Israel broke down. Hamas leadership stayed in Turkey for a few weeks & then returned to Doha when Hamas accepted Qatar-Egypt ceasefire proposal.
Hamas went from one western ally to another and back again…it’s just ridiculous that the genocidal terrorist grouping has this privilege jet set backing by western allies. When people argue Hamas can’t be defeated…it’s not because it can’t be defeated in Gaza, it can, it’s that it’s hard to also defeat it while it’s hosted by western allies and probably indirectly accepted by some western countries. Also backed by Iran-Russia etc
Article in tweet below Gaza War Analysis: Hamas Survival Strategy vs. Israel Ahead of the Gaza war, Hamas adopted a multi-faceted strategy aimed at ensuring its survival in a prolonged conflict with Israel. This approach relied on several key tactics to complicate IDF efforts to wipe out the entire Hamas terror army. Central to this approach was the widespread dispersal of forces and assets across Gaza, embedding them deeply within the civilian population. This tactic not only complicated IDF operations but also leveraged the civilian landscape as a buffer against full-scale military assaults. By situating its strategic assets and terror operatives within densely populated areas, Hamas increased the difficulty and potential human cost of any IDF efforts to dismantle its operations. Another critical element of Hamas’ strategy was the construction of an extensive underground network throughout Gaza. This massive tunnel system served multiple purposes: Providing secure movement routes, storing weapons and supplies, protecting leaders and fighters from airstrikes, and facilitating surprise attacks against IDF forces. Moreover, the vast tunnel infrastructure required deeper, more intricate maneuvers by the IDF, further complicating military operations and prolonging conflict. Hamas Goes Into Hiding In anticipation of major conflict after October 7, top Hamas leaders and many terror operatives went into hiding. This move was designed to limit direct clashes with the IDF, thereby preserving the core leadership and ensuring the survival of a large Hamas force even after incurring heavy battlefield losses. Overall, the combination of wide dispersal and withdrawal into hideouts minimized the risk of total annihilation in Israeli offensives, allowing Hamas to maintain at least some operational capabilities. The overarching strategy of Hamas was ultimately premised on outlasting the IDF. By ensuring the survival of key personnel and infrastructure, Hamas aimed to endure the immediate conflict and later rebuild its strength over time. This endurance strategy relied on the ability to withstand Israel’s military campaign and emerge with at least some resources and leadership intact to continue terror operations in the future. Limits of IDF Assault To fully destroy Hamas under these conditions, Israel had to undertake an extended, systematic and brutal military campaign across Gaza. This would involve taking over the entire Gaza Strip, methodically rooting out the Hamas terror army, and dismantling the tunnel network. Such operation, if carried out in full force, would necessitate heavy fighting and the bombardment of urban areas, resulting in significant casualties and destruction. The IDF partly did this, launching a relatively lengthy war, employing large forces and heavy firepower, taking over and knocking out significant Hamas hubs. However, achieving the complete destruction of Hamas required an even more devastating and/or prolonged campaign than the IDF assault so far. This approach would further stretch Israel’s military resources, while facing a hostile global climate and rapidly declining support from allies. Moreover, Israel’s political and military leadership failed to design a fully effective war strategy. For instance, launching a gradual assault on Hamas strongholds, rather than attacking key terror hubs in parallel, limited the impact of Israel’s military action by allowing Hamas leaders and fighters to flee. Hamas Will Survive: What’s Next? Israel’s strategic decisions were influenced by initial fears of high casualties and international pressure to minimize civilian harm. PM Netanyahu’s domestic political considerations were also a factor. All of this enabled Hamas to draw out the conflict while keeping thousands of terrorists in safe areas away from combat zones. However, Hamas leaders likely underestimated the force of Israel’s response. Their errors of judgement left much of the Gaza terror base in ruins. But despite suffering massive blows, losing a high percentage of its forces and military assets, it appears that Hamas will not be entirely eradicated in this round. Notably, the IDF dominated the battle, demolishing key parts of the Hamas terror army and substantially degrading Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s operational capacity. Nonetheless, Hamas is likely to survive and attempt to rebuild its forces. For Israel, the key to long-term success will be a sustained effort to disrupt Hamas rebuilding activities, continuously eroding its strength. Moving forward, the IDF will aim to minimize the Gaza threat by consistently monitoring and striking reemerging terror hubs, to fully eliminate Hamas as a significant player in the longer run.
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Posted: 5/18/2024 12:36:52 PM EDT
[Last Edit: brass]
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Bodies of three hostages retrieved from Gaza found in bags; investigation into their dates of death continues IDF: Senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad killed in airstrike in Rafah. This is the type of targeted killing that can seriously diminish insurgent capabilities. British security firm: Panama-flagged oil tanker 'attacked' near coast of Yemen
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/501718/GN2YaSgXoAIM6fZ_jpeg-3217112.JPG Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Bodies of three hostages retrieved from Gaza found in bags; investigation into their dates of death continues The bodies of hostages Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, and Itzhak Gelerenter that were retrieved by the Israeli army from Gaza on Friday, were found wrapped in a bag. The relevant investigative authorities have not yet confirmed if Buskila and Gelerenter were murdered on October 7 and their bodies taken to Gaza, or if they died during their time in captivity. Louk's death on October 7 was confirmed on October 30 after a bone from the base of her skull was found by Israeli Defense Force soldiers. Nissim Louk, Shani's father, told Channel 13 News on Friday the IDF had informed family members that her "body was found in some deep and cold tunnel in the north of the Gaza Strip, so it is in excellent condition. We didn't know what we would get, if anything at all, and this is a gift for us. This is the closing of a circle. The tormented soul knew that there was a hole in the heart somewhere in Gaza, and now we have received a final answer. Now she will be able to find her place in the cemetery in the Srigim forest." IDF: Senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad killed in airstrike in Rafah. This is the type of targeted killing that can seriously diminish insurgent capabilities. The IDF spokesperson announced that during an operation in eastern Rafah, a key Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative was killed in an airstrike. He served at the head of logistics in Rafah's brigade. British security firm: Panama-flagged oil tanker 'attacked' near coast of Yemen British security firm Ambrey said it had received information that a Panama-flagged crude oil tanker was reportedly "attacked" approximately 10 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Mocha. It added that the communication indicated vessel was hit by a missile.
Israeli fighter jets struck a rocket launcher and buildings used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Kounine and Khiam overnight, the military says. The IDF says it also shelled areas near Hanine with artillery to "remove threats." This morning, two projectiles were fired toward the Biranit army base on the Lebanon border. The IDF says no injuries or damage were caused in the attack.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 70 targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day, the military says, as ground forces operate in Rafah, Jabaliya, and the Netzarim Corridor. According to the IDF, the targets included weapon depots, infrastructure, and buildings belonging to terror groups, as well as operatives. One of the airstrikes in Rafah hit a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative, who the IDF says was head of logistics for the terror group in the city in southern Gaza. "As part of his role, he was responsible for preparing the enemy for the IDF maneuver in Rafah," the military says. In eastern Rafah, the military says troops of the Givati Brigade spotted and killed an RPG-wielding operative in a building near them. Givati troops raided several sites in the area, locating weapons, the IDF adds. Also in eastern Rafah, the Egoz commando unit located a rocket launcher at a building used by terror groups, the IDF says. Meanwhile in Jabaliya in the Strip's north, the IDF says the Paratroopers Brigade killed several gunmen during several engagements; the 7th Armored Brigade located a primed rocket launcher and killed several more gunmen in battles; and the 460th Armored Brigade located several tunnel shafts and killed an RPG-wielding operative. In the Strip's center, the 99th Division continued to battle gunmen in the Netzarim Corridor area, including by calling in airstrikes, the IDF says. In one incident in central Gaza, troops of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted a cell that had fired RPGs at troops and directed a drone to strike and kill the operatives, the army adds.
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/501718/GN2YaSgXoAIM6fZ_jpeg-3217112.JPG Looking at the assembled rocket, Those rocket nozzles aren't just grabbed from drain pipe or turned on a local quick lathe. The nozzle design for a rockets is complex in shape and material, so I'm guessing they're coming from Iraq, in addition to propellant for the rockets to fill in drain pipe, since the propellant decides nozzle design. They're not just gun powder or"sugar motor" level when they can reach as far and as accurately as they've repeatedly shown. That sort of repeatable accuracy (minute of city at ballistic distances) is only attainable with very controlled propellants and nozzles, not things turned on a lathe to be like a nozzle and randomly effective "sugar rocket" DIY mix.. The fins and pipe can be sourced local from random sewer pipe, but the warhead and motor are a different story. I'm guessing their explosive formed penetrators for IEDs are also sourced from Iran, same as back in the Gulf and Afghanistan wars, as they're another tricky item to manufacture and not made from everyday junk metal. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 1:08:19 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By brass: Looking at the assembled rocket, Those rocket nozzles aren't just grabbed from drain pipe or turned on a local quick lathe. The nozzle design for a rockets is complex in shape and material, so I'm guessing they're coming from Iraq, in addition to propellant for the rockets to fill in drain pipe, since the propellant decides nozzle design. They're not just gun powder or"sugar motor" level when they can reach as far and as accurately as they've repeatedly shown. That sort of repeatable accuracy (minute of city at ballistic distances) is only attainable with very controlled propellants and nozzles, not things turned on a lathe to be like a nozzle and randomly effective "sugar rocket" DIY mix.. The fins and pipe can be sourced local from random sewer pipe, but the warhead and motor are a different story. I'm guessing their explosive formed penetrators for IEDs are also sourced from Iran, same as back in the Gulf and Afghanistan wars, as they're another tricky item to manufacture and not made from everyday junk metal. Great observation, I know nothing about that stuff.  I'll look around and see if any of the Israeli think thanks have anything. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 1:13:06 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By voyager3: Egypt and somebody else. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By voyager3: Originally Posted By michigan66: Now we see one reason why Egypt wants to keep the IDF out of Rafah City. Egypt and somebody else. If I remember correctly, Egypt has been pretty vigilant looking for a demolishing tunnels coming in and out of Gaza. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 2:04:33 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AlabamaFan64: If I remember correctly, Egypt has been pretty vigilant looking for a demolishing tunnels coming in and out of Gaza. That's certainly what everyone believed. They knocked down most of the buildings near the border in their city called Rafah, leaving 70K people homeless and destroyed tunnels. But I'm beginning to believe they put most of their efforts into ensuring Hamas didn't sneak into Egypt and supply the Islamic State group in the Sinai. They didn't care much about things going into Gaza.
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Posted: 5/18/2024 2:15:24 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#29]
IDF: Body of hostage Ron Benjamin recovered from Gaza, in addition to three others announced Friday IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference says the military recovered the body of an additional hostage from the Gaza Strip, after announcing yesterday that three slain captives were returned in a special mission. The hostage is named as 53-year-old Ron Benjamin, who was abducted by Hamas on the morning of October 7. Hagari says Benjamin was killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 near Mefalsim, and his body was taken hostage to Gaza.  Attached File |
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ESP
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Posted: 5/18/2024 3:23:36 PM EDT
[#30]
The Israeli military confirms carrying out an airstrike in eastern Lebanon's Majdal Anjar, close to the border with Syria, killing a top al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya operative who worked alongside Hamas.
The Israeli airstrike in Jenin a short while ago targeted a command room belonging to a local terror network, and among those killed was a terrorist behind the murder of an Israeli in May 2023, the military and Shin Bet say. “Israel sees the suffering of civilians as a tragedy while Hamas sees the suffering of civilians as a strategy.” 🔴 WATCH an operational update from IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari discussing efforts to increase aid for Gazans, including 310 pallets of aid transferred through the floating pier, while Hamas makes consistent efforts to stop them. The Israeli Air Force struck more than 70 targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day, the military says, as ground forces operate in Rafah, Jabaliya, and the Netzarim Corridor. Israeli fighter jets struck a rocket launcher and buildings used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Kounine and Khiam overnight, the military says. The IDF says it also shelled areas near Hanine with artillery to "remove threats." |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 5:04:48 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#31]
If the link doesn't work, the video is embedded in the article here. Drone footage released by the Israeli military shows soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade killing two Palestinian gunmen on a rooftop in northern Gaza's Jabaliya. According to the IDF, the paratroopers have killed dozens of terror operatives during fierce clashes in the "heart of Jabaliya," in neighborhoods that the military did not operate in previously. The IDF says the two gunmen seen in the clip had first engaged in a gun battle with troops inside the building, before fleeing to the rooftop. The paratroopers encircled the building and killed the pair. No soldiers were hurt in the incident, according to the military. Something tells me she might be popular.
Before Rafah, Israel was told it was impossible for all these people to be evacuated and all these NGOs that had generally partnered with Hamas in the past claimed these people had no where to go. Clearly there was a coordinated effort to make it so Israel wouldn’t go into Rafah, and to try to keep the civilians there as shields for Hamas; because a lot of NGOs and interests didn’t want Hamas defeated or its funding and weapons stream cut off Tweet from pro Hamas twitter. Spoiler alert, they miss the helicopter.
Tweet from pro Hamas twitter. Don't read the comments, just enjoy the show. This account is always the first to report on IDF casualties
The military provides updates on the fighting against Hamas in southern Gaza's Rafah, where the 162nd Division is operating. The division's 401st Armored Brigade has been raiding sites in the area, from which Hamas gunmen opened fire, the military says. The tank forces have killed more than 50 terror operatives in the area, and demolished some 100 sites, including rocket launchers, according to the IDF. The troops also located more than 10 tunnel shafts, it adds. Meanwhile the Givati Infantry Brigade, operating in the same area, has killed more than 80 terror operatives, the IDF says. The Givati troops also located tunnel networks in eastern Rafah, the military adds.
Oldie but goodie
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WY, USA
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Posted: 5/18/2024 5:50:43 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01: At a minimum Israel has to control all borders with Gaza as a DMZ. Obviously, they can't trust Egypt to prevent Tunnels and elict trade. The only way going forward to limit the flow of illegal items is for all of it to go through Israeli controlled checkpoints. You are right. The Palestinians used to complain about being in "an open-air prison". They need to be in a more tightly-controlled prison because they have proven unable to conduct themselves in a civilized manner. I fear the next step would be to drive them into the sea, since the Palestinian culture will not change without external control of schools, media, etc., like was done in Germany and Japan after WWII. Nobody has the will for that. However, Iran must be dealt with, soon. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 5:54:14 PM EDT
[#33]
Houthis strike M/T Wind in Red Sea At approximately 1 a.m. (Sanaa time) May 18, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) into the Red Sea and struck M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged, Greek owned and operated oil tanker. M/T Wind most recently docked in Russia and was bound for China. The impact of the ASBM caused flooding which resulted in the of loss propulsion and steering. A coalition vessel immediately responded to the distress call by M/T Wind, but no assistance was needed. The crew of M/T Wind was able to restore propulsion and steering, and no casualties were reported. M/T Wind resumed its course under its own power. This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. |
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Posted: 5/18/2024 6:02:13 PM EDT
[#34]
Palestinians report more IDF troops killed in an ambush today. This guy is usually spot-on.
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Posted: 5/18/2024 7:47:23 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#35]
  Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 18 May Key Takeaways Gaza Strip The 98th Division continued clearing operations in Jabalia. Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters and located tunnel shafts, explosives, and rocket launchers. The 460th Brigade located and destroyed a lathe for producing weapons, including long-range rockets, grenades, and bombs. Palestinian militias engaged Israeli forces in and around Jabalia with rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), anti-tank fire, improvised explosive devices, and mortars. Hamas fired a SAM-7 missile at an Israeli helicopter over the Jabalia refugee camp. The IDF issued evacuation orders for the Atatra and Karama areas in coastal northern Gaza. Evacuation orders were issued previously in Jabalia ahead of a clearing operation that began on 11 May. Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in central Gaza. The IDF Unit 414 killed several Palestinian fighters, who attacked Israeli forces with RPGs. Israeli forces expanded clearing operations in eastern Rafah. Israeli forces destroyed militia infrastructure, s site used to build rockets, and killed 50 Palestinian fighters. An IDF lieutenant colonel said Israeli forces are engaging Hamas’ Rafah Brigade. Several Palestinian militias attacked Israeli forces in the al Tanour neighborhood. Palestinian journalists reported that Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in the Jninah and Brazil neighborhoods in eastern Rafah. Palestinian militias fired mortars and rockets at the Rafah crossing area, where Israeli forces have set up a military position. The Air Force killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) fighter, who oversaw logistics for PIJ’s Rafah Brigade. Palestinian militias condemned the US-constructed pier, which is facilitating humanitarian aid shipments into the Gaza Strip. Hamas said that the pier is not an alternative to opening all land crossings. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine warned against using the pier for actions unrelated to transporting aid. The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement said that it views the pier with “suspicion and concern” given US support for Israel. The group also called for Palestinian supervision of all ports and border crossings into the Gaza Strip. PIJ fired 10 rockets at Ashkelon, five of which Israeli forces intercepted. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) fired rockets at an IDF site east of Rafah. West Bank Palestinian fighters attacked Israeli forces with improvised explosive devices in three towns near Nablus. The Air Force killed PIJ Jenin Battalion Commander Islam Khamaysa and another PIJ fighter in an airstrike on a PIJ “operations room” in Jenin refugee camp on May 17. The IDF said that Khamaysa was responsible for attacks that killed one Israeli and injured others in the West Bank in 2023. PIJ fighters from Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus participated in Khamaysa’s funeral in Jenin. See tweet, pictures below. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah conducted at least 14 attacks into northern Israel. Yemen CENTCOM reported that the Houthis struck the Wind, a Panamanian-flagged, Greek-owned oil tanker, with one anti-ship ballistic missile in the Red Sea on May 18. The anti-ship ballistic missile impact flooded the tanker, causing the ship to briefly lose propulsion and steering. A British maritime security company said that the missile strike also caused a fire on the oil tanker, which was 10 nautical miles off the coast of Mokha. Political Negotiations US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the United States believes Hamas withdrew from the latest ceasefire negotiations in the hopes of increasing pressure on Israel to end the war. Iraq The Iraqi Council of Representatives failed to elect a new speaker.
Photos from the funeral of Islam Khamaysa, who was killed overnight in an Israeli airstrike in Jenin. The patches on most of these fighters denotes the branch of Islamic Jihad they belong to: Kafr Dan, Tulkarm and Jenin. It's a neat indicator that shows how terror groups have expanded to multiple cities and villages in the West Bank.  Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File 
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Posted: 5/18/2024 9:55:31 PM EDT
[#36]
I like the cutout in the mag in the previous post. Real nice way to introduce some jams.
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Posted: 5/18/2024 10:24:01 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Weasel_Master: I like the cutout in the mag in the previous post. Real nice way to introduce some jams. |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 1:01:30 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AeroEngineer: I too was admiring the Dremel job on that mag. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AeroEngineer: Originally Posted By Weasel_Master: I like the cutout in the mag in the previous post. Real nice way to introduce some jams. What's the orange thing on his finger? |
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ESP
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Posted: 5/19/2024 6:40:22 AM EDT
[#39]
Documentation by the IDF spokesman: Paratroopers brigade fighters eliminate Palestinian terrorists who fled to the roof of a building in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
Documentation from the scene of the vehicle attack near Syria's border with Lebanon: Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, May 18: Israel's Eurovision contestant Eden Golan performed her original song “October Rain” live for the hostage families in Israel. For those that forgot, Golan wanted to perform that song at the Eurovision and was basically told that it's too political. Israeli fighter jets struck additional Hezbollah buildings and infrastructure in southern Lebanon's Ayta ash-Shab, Odaisseh, Aitaroun, and Ramyeh The military provides updates on the fighting against Hamas in southern Gaza's Rafah, where the 162nd Division is operating. |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 8:32:45 AM EDT
[#40]
Link to liveblog articles below
This is the incident Palestinian twitter reported yesterday
The IDF announces the deaths of two soldiers killed during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. The slain troops are named as Staff Sgt. Nachman Meir Haim Vaknin, 20, from Eilat and Staff Sgt. Noam Bittan, 20, from Yad Rambam. The pair served in the Givati Brigade's reconnaissance unit. Vaknin and Bittan were killed and another two soldiers and an officer of the Givati reconnaissance unit were seriously wounded as a result of a blast in a booby-trapped tunnel shaft in the Rafah area. Their deaths bring the toll of slain troops in the IDF's ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in operations on the border to 282. In a separate incident, a reservist of the 5832nd Combat Engineering Battalion was seriously wounded in Rafah after his D9 armored bulldozer was hit by an RPG.
A senior Hamas operative in the terror group's supply unit was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip yesterday, the military says. According to the IDF, Azmi Abu Daqqa was involved in smuggling weapons and funds for Hamas in Gaza. He was killed in an airstrike following intelligence provided by the Military Intelligence Directorate, the IDF says. Dozens more Hamas targets were hit across Gaza over the past day, including two "tactical-level" commanders, who were preparing to attack Israeli forces in the Rafah area, the military adds.
Troops operating in northern Gaza's Jabaliya have discovered several caches of weapons, including assault rifles, mortars, and drones, the military says. The IDF says troops also discovered rocket launchers and a weapons manufacturing site in the area. Also in Jabaliya, the military says troops of the 636th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted a cell armed with RPGs, and directed an airstrike against them. The fighting in "the heart of Jabaliya" is being led by the 7th Armored Brigade, with the IDF saying the tank forces are engaged in "intense" battles with Hamas in the area.  Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File
Border Police officers shot a Palestinian who allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack at a checkpoint near the West Bank town of Abu Dis, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. According to police, the suspect arrived at the so-called Kiosk Checkpoint near Abu Dis, drew a knife, and tried to stab officers there. Border Police officers operating at the checkpoint returned fire, "neutralizing" the suspect, police say. Hostile aircraft infiltration sirens sound across northern Israel Here's what has happened on day 226 of the war ■ The IDF releases names of two soldiers killed in southern Gaza combat, Staff Sergeant Nachman Meir Haim Vaknin and Sergeant Noam Bittan. ■ U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will arrive in Israel on Sunday to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Benny Gantz. ■ Republican New York Representative Elise Stefanik announced on X that she is slated to address the Knesset on Sunday, at the invitation of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. ■ Roughly 20 protesters blocked the main entrance to Jerusalem on Sunday morning, calling for national elections. To emphasize their demand, the protesters blocked the road with a ballot box. ■ Rocket and aircraft infiltration sirens were activated in northern Israel's Upper Galilee region, near the border with Lebanon. ■ Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jake Sullivan met to discuss the war in Gaza and a broad bilateral agreement, the Saudi state news agency reported. IDF orders residents of additional Beit Lahia neighborhoods in Gaza to evacuate The Israel Defense Forces' Arabic spokesperson ordered residents of additional Beit Lahia neighborhoods in north Gaza to evacuate their homes. According to the army's order to the residents, the IDF intends to operate in the neighborhoods due to Hamas activity in the area, including the firing of rockets at Israel. Gantz to PM Netanyahu: If a plan for post-war Gaza is not approved by June 8, we will resign from government War cabinet minister Benny Gantz addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, telling him that if a plan for post-war governance of Gaza is not formulated and approved by June 8, his National Unity Party will withdraw from the government. "Personal and political considerations have begun to enter the most sacred parts of Israel's defense," Gantz said at the press conference. Gantz demanded that a plan to realize six strategic goals must be approved by June 8: the return of the hostages from Gaza; the overthrow of Hamas rule and demilitarization in Gaza; the establishment of a joint U.S., European, Arab, and Palestinian administration that will manage Gaza's civilian affairs and form the basis for a future alternative governing authority; the repatriation of residents of north Israel who were evacuated from their homes, as well as the rehabilitation of Gaza border communities; the promotion of normalization with Saudi Arabia; and the adoption of an outline for military service for all Israeli citizens. "Prime Minister Netanyahu, I look you in the eye tonight and tell you: The choice is in your hands," Gantz said. "The Netanyahu of a decade ago would have done the right thing. Are you willing to do the right and patriotic thing today?" "The people of Israel are watching you. You must choose between Zionism and cynicism, between unity and factionalism, between responsibility and lawlessness – and between victory and disaster," he continued. |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 3:36:00 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#41]
Link to liveblog articles below
Suspected hostile aircraft infiltration sirens sound in Israel's north for the third time in an hour IDF shares footage of child hostages, who were released in November, recorded by Hamas during captivity The girls were released in November, video was recorded by while they were in captivity The Israeli army has shared a video taken by Hamas of released hostages Dafna (15) and Ella (8) Elyakim when they were in captivity, before their release in November. In the video, Ella is shown saying: "I am eight, and I am asking Bibi to release us. I am a Hamas hostage."  [Translation: Ella Alikim's documentation while she was held captive by Hamas] Dozens of settlers set fire to vehicle in Palestinian village in West Bank After blocking trucks and unloading their shipments on the road in the Avitar and Kish area, settlers approached the village of Yatma and set fire to vehicles there. Prior to that, according to security sources, dozens threw stones at vehicles in the area of Tfumat Junction. Throughout the network there are many calls to go out and block Palestinian trucks at intersections in the West Bank
Translation: After blocking trucks and unloading their shipments on the road in the Avitar and Kish area, settlers approached the village of Yatma and set fire to vehicles there. Prior to that, according to security sources, dozens threw stones at vehicles in the area of Tfumat Junction. Throughout the network there are many calls to go out and block Palestinian trucks at intersections in the West Bank Report from Gaza on situation in Rafa. Pro-Palestinian account, but excellent source of news.
Field update on Rafah invasion: There is no advancement from north Rafah towards Khirbat al-Adas, Morag, or Nasr neighborhood. Jninah Neighborhood : Tanks are positioned around Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital heading south towards Tanour neighborhood, reaching Deir Yassin Street, George Street, Adnan Abu Taha intersection, and Abed Rahman Mosque. Salam Neighborhood: Tanks are fully positioned in Salam neighborhood, from Al-Arab Mall and the eastern cemetery to the Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque near the Jawazat roundabout. Brazil Neighborhood: Attempts to advance towards Halal Market, and Qishta neighborhood behind Bank of Palestine, reaching Block O with heavy clashes heard but no firm positioning yet. Mainly positioned behind the community club. IDF says it attacked a structure which housed terrorists in Lebanon's south The Israeli army has announced that fighter jets attacked a structure in which terrorists were identified next to Maroun El-Ras, in Lebanon's south. The army further said about ten rockets were launched from Lebanon toward the Upper Galilee region since Sunday morning. Raisi’s death wouldn’t change Iranian policy, but would spark fight for power While fate of Iran’s president and potential Khamenei successor remains unknown, deep stable of figures waiting to fill the vacuum his loss would create could test supreme leader Entire article below. Link. It is too early to know the fate of Iran’s president and foreign minister after their helicopter crashed in northwestern Iran Sunday, but initial signs don’t look especially promising. An Iranian official told Reuters that while authorities are “still hopeful,” the information coming from the crash site is “very concerning.” The lives of President Ebrahim Raisi, along with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, are “at risk,” the official added. Though the deaths of two senior Iranian officials would be a dramatic development at a time when multiple conflicts are raging in the region, it likely would not affect the course of those fights significantly, with decisions over foreign policy and war under the purview of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. “The president of the Islamic Republic is an implementer, not a decision-maker,” explained Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran. “So the policies of the Islamic Republic, the fundamentals of those policies, will remain the same.” Raisi “works for the Supreme Leader,” noted Ori Goldberg of Reichman University. “Certainly this guy, because he was elected in the least democratic elections the Islamic Republic ever had.” At the same time, however, the sudden loss of Iran’s president will create a power vacuum that senior figures will start maneuvering to take advantage of. According to Article 131 of Iran’s constitution, in the case of the president’s death, the first deputy temporarily assumes the presidency. Mohammad Mokhber, a Khamenei loyalist, currently fills that role. Elections must be held within fifty days. There is no shortage of powerful officials who have been waiting for an opportunity like this to move further up the regime’s power structure, and a sudden shock like the death of Iran’s president would present itself as a test for Khamenei. “He has to show that he can carry, not the country, but the leadership, through this transition,” said Goldberg. But more importantly, Raisi is seen as the leading candidate to replace Khamenei. He is immensely experienced — a cleric, ex-chief justice and former head of a massive foundation, in addition to being president. “To have him off the field or incapacitated, dead, what have you, is a real shock for the politics of the system,” said Brodsky. While overshadowed by Raisi, the potential loss of Amir-Abdollahian could be significant, as he’s been an extremely effective foreign minister, overseeing successful reconciliation with Saudi Arabia and navigating a series of difficult crises, including with powerful neighbor Pakistan. Though Iran’s broad foreign policy won’t change, having to deal with unexpected political upheaval is expected to take attention away from the multi-front fight against Israel. “If he did die or he was incapacitated, then the country could be a little more self-engaged, wrapped up in internal politics, and it sorts out the election for the next president,” noted Michael Makovsky, CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. The regime also risks looking weak after a series of setbacks. Tehran has been displaying weakness for months. On January 3, Islamic State terrorists killed at least 84 people in two explosions near the grave of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, as they marked the fourth anniversary of his death in a US drone strike in Iraq four years earlier. The previous month, Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni terrorist group, killed 11 Iranian police officers Iran, desperate to show some muscle, launched missiles into Pakistan, saying it was targeting Jaish al-Adl. But nuclear-armed Pakistan wouldn’t back down, hitting back with missiles and fighter jets within Iran — the first bombing attack on Iranian soil since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Its bluff called, Iran agreed to de-escalate. Along Israel’s borders Iran has seen its credibility come under the most pressure. While Israel struggles to locate and target Hamas leaders in Gaza, it has shown a striking ability and willingness to take out Iranian officials in Syria. In April, Israel allegedly assassinated the top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official in Syria, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, and his deputy, Mohammad Haj Rahimi. In December, senior IRGC officer Brig. Gen. Razi Mousavi was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Damascus. Iran had to show its regional proxies, and its own citizens, that it could extract a price from Israel, especially after Hamas had proven that Israel could be humiliated by its October 7 surprise attack. But Iran’s response — a massive missile and drone attack that marked its first ever direct attack on the Jewish state — damaged nothing of value and succeeded in uniting the West and many Arab countries in Israel’s defense. Losing two senior officials in a helicopter crash could also make the regime look vulnerable and incompetent. But if Khamenei manages a smooth transition, the Islamic Republic will show a measure of stability at a difficult time. And there remains the question of how Western leaders will respond to the death of a leader whose country is behind much of the terrorism and instability in the Middle East and beyond, not to mention its crucial military support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. Moreover, Raisi oversaw the executions of thousands of political prisoners after the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988. What is certain is that Iran’s efforts to harm Israel and push the US out of the region will continue, whether or not Raisi emerges from the fog. |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 7:53:00 PM EDT
[#42]
Article in Israeli paper about Jordan.
How Iran Is Trying to Punish Jordan for Helping Israel Link here, entire article posted below. Highpoints Jordan earned the gratitude of Israel and the US for intercepting Iranian projectiles headed toward the Jewish state on the night of April 13, but Amman is now facing explicit threats from Tehran. Following the interception, Fars News Agency announced, "Our armed forces are closely monitoring Jordan's movements...If Jordan participates in any potential actions, it will be the next target." As the Hashemite kingdom faces a domestic upheaval because of the war in Gaza, Tehran has stoked this unrest through both propaganda and proxy forces, including increasing trafficking of weapons and narcotics. Jordan..lacks a substantial Shiite community...but approximately 55 to 70 percent of Jordan's population is Palestinian. Since October 7, daily protests have unsuccessfully called on Jordan's king to annul the country's 1994 peace treaty with Israel. In a bid to defuse public anger, high ranking Jordanian officials try to walk a fine line by being relentlessly critical of Israel...But tensions are high. In late March, demonstrators attempting to breach the Israeli embassy's security perimeter, physically and verbally attacking Jordanian police. This animosity has offered Iran an alternative to the sectarian route to infiltrate the country, by positioning itself as the primary defender and champion of the Palestinians while casting the Hashemite monarchy as selling out their cause to Israel. After the April 13 attack, criticism of the Jordanian monarchy.. spread on social media. Taunting images circulated depicting the king wearing an Israeli military uniform, labeling him "Abd Bin Shalom". Signs indicate Iran is working to amplify otherwise organic unrest. Early in the war Iran activated its proxies in Iraq to disrupt oil supplies to Jordan. The effort lasted two days but signaled to Amman that Tehran would exact a price if the kingdom chose the wrong side. Iranian proxies have been prodding Jordanians to use their country as a base for attacks against Israel – last month Iraq-based Kataib Hezbollah threatened to arm 12,000 Jordanians. Syrian regime elements have increased drug smuggling activities into Jordan, especially the highly-addictive amphetamine Captagon – as part of Tehran's broader pressure campaign on Jordan. Its overlap with heightened Iranian-backed militia activities in Jordan suggests a coordinated effort to complicate the kingdom's internal security challenges Jordan's actions on April 13 demonstrate that it remains a pillar of regional stability and a critical ally of the United States. The relationship remains intact despite both the negative rhetoric emanating from Amman since October 7 and domestic pressure to break these ties. Jordan is walking between preserving its domestic stability and honoring the foreign commitments which are critical to its durability. Meanwhile, Iran is seeking to amplify these growing tensions to the detriment of not only Amman, but its international partners as well. Entire article in quote box How Iran is trying to punish Jordan for helping Israel | Opinion Jordan earned the gratitude of Israel and the United States for intercepting Iranian projectiles headed toward the Jewish state on the night of April 13, but Amman is now facing explicit threats from Tehran. Following the interception, Fars News Agency, linked to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), announced, "Our armed forces are closely monitoring Jordan's movements during the operation to discipline the Zionist entity. If Jordan participates in any potential actions, it will be the next target." After Jordanian forces intercepted Iran's drones, the Hashemite monarch, Abdullah II, sought to frame the operation as completely unrelated to protecting Israel. "Jordan's security and sovereignty is above everything, and Jordan will not be a battlefield for any party, and the protection of our civilians comes before anything," he stated. Tehran's threat is as unprecedented as Jordan's actions, but it puts Amman on notice of overt Iranian retaliation. However, Iran is likelier to employ less visible means of intimidation. As the Hashemite kingdom faces a domestic upheaval because of the war in Gaza, Tehran has stoked this unrest through both propaganda and proxy forces, including increasing trafficking of weapons and narcotics. Making Jordan especially enticing for Iranian intervention, a foothold in Jordan replicating Tehran's model in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon could potentially serve as a direct gateway to Israel, in turn increasing pressure not only on the Israelis and the region, but also the international community. Iran strategically uses sectarian influence in regions with significant Shiite populations to establish such proxy footholds. Jordan, however, lacks a substantial Shiite community. However, approximately 55 to 70 percent of Jordan's population is Palestinian. Since October 7, daily protests have unsuccessfully called on Jordan's king to annul the country's 1994 peace treaty with Israel. In a bid to defuse public anger, high ranking Jordanian officials try to walk a fine line by being relentlessly critical of Israel, while not undermining the treaty. But tensions are high. In late March, demonstrators attempting to breach the Israeli embassy's security perimeter, physically and verbally attacking Jordanian police. This animosity has offered Iran an alternative to the sectarian route to infiltrate the country, by positioning itself as the primary defender and champion of the Palestinians while casting the Hashemite monarchy as selling out their cause to Israel. This stance simultaneously bolsters Iran's regional influence and undermines the Jordanian stability. After the April 13 attack, for example, criticism of the Jordanian monarchy – much of it seemingly originating from Tehran and its proxies, particularly in Lebanon and Iraq – spread on social media. Taunting images circulated depicting the king wearing an Israeli military uniform, labeling him "Abd Bin Shalom" — suggesting his subservience to Israel. Iraqi and Lebanese accounts, which were busy promoting the #Cancel_Jordan hashtag, also similarly spread hashtags like #Jordan_is_a_base_for_the_US_Britain_France_and_Israel. Elements sympathetic to Iran like the Islamic Action Front — the Jordanian political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood — have exploited these attacks seeking to undermine the monarchy's pro-Palestine bona fides to turn these protests into rallies explicitly supporting Tehran's proxy Hamas. Each day, chants praising Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif reverberate through Amman's streets. Signs indicate Iran is working to amplify this otherwise organic unrest. During the first weeks of the war, Iran activated its proxies in Iraq to disrupt oil supplies to Jordan. The effort lasted two days but signaled to Amman that Tehran would exact a price if the kingdom chose the wrong side. Iranian proxies have been prodding Jordanians to use their country as a base for attacks against Israel – Qatar-based Hamas officials did so in November, while last month Iraq-based Kataib Hezbollah threatened to arm 12,000 Jordanians – and a New York Times investigative report discovered that Iranian-affiliated groups were using Jordan as a conduit to move weapons from Syria and Iraq into the West Bank. More recently, Iran is turning these weapons against Jordan itself. In March, Jordanian authorities also arrested a Hamas-backed cell, comprised of Palestinian Jordanians, that was smuggling Iranian-supplied weapons for domestic use. Syrian regime elements, working with Iranian proxies, have also sharply increased the ongoing drug smuggling activities into Jordan, especially the highly-addictive amphetamine Captagon – as part of Tehran's broader pressure campaign on Jordan. Its overlap with heightened Iranian-backed militia activities in Jordan suggests a coordinated effort to complicate the kingdom's internal security challenges since, in the past, this traffic led to bloody shootouts on the Jordanian-Syrian border. In January, the Jordanian air force launched strikes inside Syria targeting suspected traffickers and drug warehouses. Jordan's actions on April 13 demonstrate that it remains a pillar of regional stability and a critical ally of the United States, which accordingly provides Amman with more than $1 billion of aid annually, including military assistance. It also proves the kingdom's military cooperation and coordination with Israel – foundational component of their relationship — remains fully intact despite both the negative rhetoric emanating from Amman since October 7 and domestic pressure to break these ties. Following the Iranian drones' interception, critics asked whether Jordan would have prevented a potential Israeli retaliatory strike against Iran from traversing Jordanian airspace. This scenario which remains hypothetical, highlights the tight-rope Jordan is walking between preserving its domestic stability and honoring the foreign commitments which are critical to its durability. Meanwhile, Iran is seeking to amplify these growing tensions to the detriment of not only Amman, but its international partners as well. Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, focusing on Middle East affairs, specifically the Levant, Iraq, and Iranian intervention in Arab affairs, as well as U.S. foreign policy toward the region. @AhmadA_Sharawi  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 8:35:17 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#43]
FDD on Hezbollah drone, missile, and rocket attacks. Link
“The IDF has gradually degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities during the several months-long tit-for-tat exchanges, but the terror group remains a formidable challenge to Israel. As Hezbollah attacks become increasingly bold and strike deeper into Israel, a confrontation that will have devastating consequences for Lebanon seems increasingly inevitable.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network Entire article below Latest Developments Hezbollah launched rockets and drones targeting communities in northern Israel on May 19. The attacks began in the morning when Hezbollah launched projectiles that targeted the border town of Malkia. Following the attack on Malkia, which Hezbollah has already struck multiple times this month, the terrorist group launched several rounds of drone attacks on other areas in northern Israel, setting off sirens in more than a dozen communities. Hezbollah took credit for the attacks and told the pro-Iranian media outlet Al-Mayadeen that it targeted an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) jeep in Malkia. Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets and drones at Israel since it began a new round of attacks after Hamas’s October 7 massacre. The May 19 attacks follow several days of Hezbollah strikes across northern Israel, totaling about 40 attacks in 72 hours. Expert Analysis “The Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah continues to increase its attacks on northern Israel. The group must be deterred from further attacks and its terrorists should be pressured to withdraw from the border area so that Israeli communities can have peace after seven months of war.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow “The IDF has gradually degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities during the several months-long tit-for-tat exchanges, but the terror group remains a formidable challenge to Israel. As Hezbollah attacks become increasingly bold and strike deeper into Israel, a confrontation that will have devastating consequences for Lebanon seems increasingly inevitable.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network Hezbollah’s War of Attrition Through the latest attacks, Hezbollah continuously seeks to drag Israel into a war of attrition in the north, a Ynet News report noted. Further threatening Israel, Hezbollah’s elite terrorist Radwan force — reportedly established to support an invasion of Israel — continues to operate along the border. The Iran-backed terror group has killed at least 23 Israelis during seven months of conflict. More than 80,000 residents of northern Israel remain displaced from their homes due to Hezbollah’s ongoing threats.
Looking at some other members of #Iran's regime's delegation with Raisi in #Azerbaijan amid news of a "hard landing:" Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, Transportation Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash; Representative of the Supreme Leader in East Azerbaijan Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem; Raisi's Chief of Staff Mohammad Esmaeli; Deputy Chief of Staff Mohammad Jamshidi; & Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari were also in Azerbaijan with Raisi.
Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will travel to Doha, Qatar, from May 20-22. Ambassador Carstens will deliver remarks and participate in a panel titled “The Impacts of Hostage-Taking by State and Non-State Actors” at the Global Security Forum. While in Doha, Ambassador Carstens will also meet with Qatari and other attending government representatives and civil society groups to discuss wrongful detention and hostage issues. Tweets from pro-Hamas twitter. Watch the videos, do yourself a favor and skip the comments. Videos from Hamas al-Qassam Telegram accounts. First video and video of sniper crew are different from what we usually see.
The IDF soldier he is reporting to the ICJ looks like fun.
 Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 5/19/2024 9:16:10 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#44]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 19 May Key Takeaways Gaza Strip The 98th Division continued clearing operations in Jabalia. Three IDF brigades are currently operating under the 98th Division. 7th Brigade engaged Palestinian fighters and located explosives, rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, grenades, and small arms. The IDF 636th Reconnaissance Unit directed dozens of airstrikes on Palestinian cells and additional targets in support ground operations. Palestinian militias engaged Israeli forces 20 times in the last 24 hours in Jabalia, using rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), anti-tank fire, improvised explosive devices, rockets, and mortars. Two IDF brigades continued operations along the Netzarim corridor and near the US-built humanitarian aid pier. Militias attacked Israeli forces with small arms and mortar fire along the corridor. Fighters have reduced their rate of attack on the Netzarim corridor since early May. The Air Force struck killed several Hamas commanders in the Gaza Strip, including two tactical-level Hamas commanders in Rafah who were preparing to attack Israeli forces. The Aiir Force also killed senior Hamas logistics commander Azmi Abu Daqa in an unspecified area of the Gaza Strip. A drone strike killed Palestinian police investigations chief Zahar al Kholi in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF deployed an additional brigade of reservists to Eastern Rafah. A Palestinian journalist reported on May 19 that Israeli armor advanced westward deeper into the Jninah, Salam, and Brazil neighborhoods. Three Palestinian militias attacked Israeli forces in the al Salam neighborhood. Hamas fighters continued to mortar the Rafah crossing area, where Israeli forces have set up a military position. The IDF believes.that about 800,000 Palestinians have evacuated eastern Rafah into Khan Younis, al Mawasi, Deir al Balah, and western Rafah. Palestinian militias conducted two indirect fire attacks from Gaza in the last 24 hours. One rocket fired from the Strip landed in the Mediterranean Sea near Ashkelon. PIJ and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is a leftist Palestinian militia aligned with Hamas in the war, fired at least one rocket at Sderot in a combined attack on May 19. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in three locations in the West Bank in the last.24 hours. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades attacked Israeli forces with improvised explosive devices and small arms fire in Qalqilya and Nablus. Israel’s Central Command conducted an unannounced exercise to prepare Israeli forces in the West Bank for “extreme scenarios. Israeli ground forces trained alongside the Israeli Air Force and Special Units to simulate mobilization for offensive and defensive operations in “complex terrorist incidents” and other scenarios. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Iranian-backed militias, including Lebanese Hezbollah, have conducted at least 11 attacks into northern Israel in the last 24 hours. The IDF intercepted a ”suspicious aerial target” that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon. The IDF Air Force bombed Hezbollah fighters operating near a military building in Maroun al Ras, southern Lebanon. Axis of Resistance The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed a drone attack targeting Eilat, Israel. Iran A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian crashed in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. It remains unclear at the time of this writing whether Raisi and Abdollahian survived the crash. First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would temporarily serve as president if Raisi died in the crash, according to the Iranian constitution. Mokhber, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei would then have 50 days to organize a presidential election. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wields ultimate decision-making authority in Iran, but Raisi still holds significant power within the regime. Raisi’s death would have serious implications for supreme leader succession. Raisi is considered one of the top contenders—along with Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei—to succeed Khamenei as supreme leader. Khamenei appointed Raisi to the position of judiciary chief in 2019 and endorsed Raisi during the August 2021 presidential elections. The next several days have the potential to reshape the immediate and long-term dynamics of the regime, including supreme leader succession. Raisi’s death would ultimately not change the regime’s current trajectory toward more hardline and conservative domestic policies and more aggressive regional policies, however. Gaza Strip Post War Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz threatened to leave Israel’s coalition government if the three-member war cabinet does not approve a new strategy for the war in the Gaza Strip by June 8. Gantz appealed for a strategy that prioritizes the release of hostages over the destruction of Hamas and allows residents in northern Israel to return home by September 1.  
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/20/2024 8:45:52 AM EDT
[Last Edit: GBTX01]
[#45]
 
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Posted: 5/20/2024 8:59:26 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#46]
Tweet link isn't showing--Go here to see original Troops of the Maglan commando unit, using a drone, spotted a gunman in a tunnel shaft amid operations in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the military says, releasing a picture from the incident. The troops directed a drone to strike the tunnel, killing the operative. The IDF says the Commando Brigade have been raiding Hamas sites in the Rafah area, killing gunmen and locating dozens of tunnels. Peek-A-Boo  Attached File
What a sad day for the rule of law & the law of armed conflict. @KarimKhanQC & the @IntlCrimCourt have made applications for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders (I am sure many will falsely say they issued arrest warrants). Erroneously claiming Israel uses starvation as a form of warfare despite the overwhelming actions Israel has taken to bring water & aid into Gaza.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 80 targets belonging to terror groups in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. According to the IDF, the targets included weapon depots, rocket launchers, and buildings used to attack troops, along with cells of gunmen. The strikes come as IDF ground troops operate across the Gaza Strip. In Jabaliya in the Strip's north, the IDF says the 98th Division have been raiding Hamas sites, locating weapons, and killing gunmen in close-quarters combat and by directing airstrikes. At an UNRWA complex in Jabaliya, troops found a cache of weapons, the IDF says. In southern Gaza's Rafah, troops of the 162nd Division are operating in the eastern part of the city. The IDF says one recent airstrike in Rafah amid the battles took out a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander along with three other operatives. In central Gaza, the 99th Division continues to hold the Netzarim Corridor. Several buildings used by terror groups to store weapons were shelled by tanks in the area, the military says.
Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon's Mays al-Jabal a short while ago, the military says. The IDF says artillery forces of the 91st Division spotted the cell at a position used in recent days to launch rockets at Israel. Earlier, fighter jets hit a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah in Naqoura, the IDF says. The military says it identified secondary blasts following the strike, indicating that munitions were stored there.
Two Hamas military operatives who also served as top officials in the terror group's police were killed in recent Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, the military and Shin Bet announce. On Sunday, Zaher al-Houli, a senior police officer in central Gaza was targeted in a drone strike. According to the IDF, al-Houli was a member of Hamas's military wing simultaneous to his senior role in the police. "As part of his activities, Zaher maintained contacts with other terrorists from the organization and advanced terror attacks against the Israeli home front," the military says. A separate strike on Saturday killed Rami Khalil Faki, who the IDF says is a member of Hamas's military wing, alongside his role as a top officer in the Nuseirat police. "As part of his role, he commanded a force of armed terrorists who led acts against our forces," the military says. Faki's deputy and four more Hamas members were killed in the strike. Police in the Gaza Strip is under the jurisdiction of Hamas, and according to Israel, many of its officers also serve in the terror group's military wing.
Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, the IDF says. The sites included buildings used by the terror group in Blida, Jibbain, and Odaisseh, alongside an observation post in Chihine, according to the military. |
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Posted: 5/20/2024 9:04:30 AM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOBZMs2XUAAfVS8?format=jpg&name=medium https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOBZMsxXUAAVVfz?format=jpg&name=medium Interesting they'd go after Haniyeh, he's the only one of the four they have even an outside chance of arresting. At any rate, not surprised with the Israelis, but I am surprised by the Hamas warrants. |
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Posted: 5/20/2024 9:43:32 AM EDT
[#48]
If you have Kindle Unlimited or $3.99 burning a hole in your pocket, Gates of Red Sea this is a short but decent book.. I was sold on the cover, it's the one-armed Houthi from the MEMRI videos.
The Counter Terrorism Center at West Point has a long article on the Houthis in the current warhere, in April's Sentinel Magazine. A previous article from 2018 talks about their move from guerrilla war to de facto governing power in Yemen--here.. If you're really into it or can't sleep, here's one their command and control. |
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Posted: 5/20/2024 9:54:03 AM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Link to articles below https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/501718/IMG_1754_jpeg-3216450.JPG IDF retrieves three bodies of Israeli hostages from Gaza, spokesperson says Shani Louk was the young woman the murderers had in the back of their truck while they drove all around Gaza. I thought that poor girl had already been returned. I didn't realize her body was still in Gaza. Hopefully she can finally have some dignity after how those animals treated her. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/20/2024 10:41:37 AM EDT
[#50]
The IDF informed us that since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, a total of five brigade commanders of the terrorist organizations, 24 generals, and 101 company commanders have been killed by IDF fire, including substitutes who were foiled.
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