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Posted: 5/5/2024 10:48:19 PM EDT
[#1]
IDF targets UN facility used by Hamas as a command and control center. Link
Hamas command and control center based out of a UNRWA facility in the central Gaza Strip was targeted in an airstrike, the Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency said. According to a joint statement, the site was used by Hamas as a staging ground to direct numerous attacks against Israeli troops in the Netzarim Corridor and against humanitarian aid deliveries. According to the military, the command center was also used to supply dozens of operatives with weapons, including members of the terror group in tunnels. “The attack was carefully planned and carried out using precise weaponry to avoid as much harm as possible to uninvolved [civilians],” the IDF said. “The Hamas terror organization systematically exploits international institutions and the civilian population as a human shield for terror actions against the State of Israel,” the IDF added. |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 4:19:19 AM EDT
[#2]
More marches and riots against Israel:
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Posted: 5/6/2024 4:20:31 AM EDT
[#3]
Hamas publishes footage showing the rocket barrage launched from Southern Gaza's Rafah.
The attack struck the Kerem Shalom area in southern Israel, causing injuries to more than 10 people A Tribute to Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemen Marching to Zion - documantary (Full Movie) How Quickly America Forgot!! I remember 9/11/2011 like it was yesterday. I lived right across the bridge in NJ and I remember everyone screaming we will never forget. We have forgotten that the Palestinians were dancing and cheering on 9/11. Today our youth scrams death to America while supporting the very people who cheered the deaths of over 3,000 people. Every year on 9/11 we say never forget but taking a look at our country today, it seems America has forgotten Anti-Israel University of Ottawa protesters obey handler instructions to ignore reporters |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 4:24:07 AM EDT
[#4]
Israel remembers six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389481 |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 8:16:46 AM EDT
[#5]
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hardened his rejection of Hamas demands for an end to the Gaza war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, saying on Sunday that would keep the Palestinian Islamist group in power and pose a threat to Israel.
Princeton University students launch hunger strike: Israel Flags Flood 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' at UCSD College - California Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "What’s happening in America’s college campuses is horrific. Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities. They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty. |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 9:58:13 AM EDT
[#6]
Kind of funny, but you know damn well if the guys with guns weren't around it would have ended differently.
 Attached FileLink to liveblog articles below IDF releases name of fourth Israeli soldier killed in Sunday's rocket barrage near Gaza border Sergeant Michael Ruzal, 18, of the Nahal Brigade is the fourth Israeli soldier killed in Sunday's rocket barrage which landed near the Kerem Shalom crossing near the Gaza border The army said that ten launches were detected in the barrage, which was aimed at two positions where the soldiers were stationed. According to the announcement, the forces were stationed there to guard vehicles and military equipment intended to be used in case the army decided to enter Rafah Full article on Kereem Shalom attack inside spoiler. Link Click To View Spoiler Gaza Medical Sources Say 26 Killed in Rafah as Israel Begins Evacuation Ahead of Ground Operation The IDF estimates there are about 100,000 residents in the southern Gaza neighborhoods ordered to evacuate, but sources in the army have said this is a limited operation, and not a complete evacuation of Rafah IDF data: Seventeen soldiers wounded in last 24 hours, 3 severely. Hamas on Rafah evacuation order: Any military operation in Rafah 'won't be a picnic' for the IDF Hamas said Monday that any military operation in Rafah "will not be a picnic" for the Israeli army, and added it is "determined and ready to protect the Palestinian people and defeat Israel." Hamas also called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop the attack, and appealed to international organizations – including UNRWA – not to obey the Israeli order to evacuate Rafah. Hamas also noted that the call for residents east of Rafah to evacuate their homes emphasize "Netanyahu's insistence on committing genocide against the Palestinians" Two Egyptians security sources say Egypt is raising its preparedness level in the northern Sinai Peninsula as Israel signals start of Rafah operation. Explosive drone hits northern Israeli town; IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon Army and local officials reported a drone carrying explosives hit the northern Israeli town of Metula. According to the army, the air force struck 15 targets in a military base belonging to Hezbollah's elite Radwan force in Southern Lebanon. Report: Senior Egyptian official says Hamas' attack on Kerem Shalom caused impasse in negotiations Egypt's Al Qahera News said on Monday Hamas' rocket attack on Sunday near the Kerem Shalom crossing which killed four Israeli soldiers caused an impasse in negotiations with Israel. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Israel's Rafah evacuation order ahead of an expected offensive is a "dangerous escalation that will have consequences". Tweet from Israeli Foreign Minister
Our just war in Gaza continues with the exact same goals: the release of all hostages and the defeat of Hamas. Yesterday, we received a reminder from the Nazi terrorist organization Hamas, firing from a civilian population near the Rafah Crossing towards the Kerem Shalom Crossing, intended for humanitarian aid. Israel has agreed to significant concessions to bring the hostages home, but Hamas has repeatedly refused. Everyone understands that Sinwar has no intention of releasing all hostages, even in exchange for everything. He believes that the world will pressure Israel to stop the war unconditionally, and he will be able to continue to control Gaza - with hostages as bargaining chips and with the ability to continue the attrition war against Israel and plan the next attack. Today, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the slogan "Never Again" takes on a special meaning. The people of Israel say: "Never again." IDF spokesperson: Some 30 rockets fired at Israel's north, no casualties reported --with 60 rockets fired yesterday, this is one of the most intense ~48 hours for aerial attacks from the north An IDF spokesperson says the army identified 30 launches from Lebanon into northern Israel with no casualties reported. According to the army's statement, forces are carrying out retaliatory strikes toward the source of the fire. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, claiming it fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at the Naffakh base in the Golan Heights. IDF confirms overnight strike deep into Lebanon The Israeli army confirmed that it conducted a strike overnight into Monday deep into Lebanon. According to the statement, fighter jets struck a Hezbollah military compound in the area of Sefri, south of Baalbek
The IDF has expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. This expanded humanitarian area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies. In accordance with the approval of the government, an ongoing situation assessment will guide the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas in eastern Rafah, to the humanitarian area. Calls to temporarily move to the humanitarian area will be conveyed through flyers, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in arabic. The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they’re holding in captivity are back home. |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 10:33:05 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#7]
A Palestinian gunman was killed and an explosive lab was destroyed during an ongoing IDF and Border Police raid in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, which began this morning, the military says. The IDF says combat engineers uncovered explosive devices planted under roads in Tulkarem, and other troops located another explosive lab as well as seized an assault rifle amid the operation. Elsewhere in the West Bank, 13 wanted Palestinians were detained overnight, the military says. Since October 7, the IDF says troops have arrested some 4,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,700 affiliated with Hamas.
In the IDF flyers dropped in the Gaza Strip this morning, the military warns Palestinians against approaching the borders with Israel or Egypt. One flyer, addressed to all Gaza Strip residents, announces the expansion of the designated humanitarian zone in the al-Mawasi area. "In this area the expanded humanitarian aid will continue. The IDF will continue fighting the terror organizations that use you as human shields. Therefore: Gaza City is a dangerous fighting zone; avoid crossing to the north of Wadi Gaza," it continues. "It is prohibited to come near to the eastern and southern security fences," the IDF flyer adds. The second flyer, addressed to the residents and those sheltering in eastern Rafah neighborhoods, warns that "the IDF is about to operate with force against the terror organizations in the area you currently reside, as the IDF has operated so far." "Anyone in the area puts themselves and their family members in danger," it reads. The red flyer also warns against approaching the Israeli and Egyptian borders. Flyer  Attached File
The narrative is now going to go all-out to stop an operation in Rafah…because Hamas needs to control the border so it can control humanitarian aid and work with its partners around the region and around the world who quietly backed it for years. When you see the voices exaggerating about Rafah, you’ll know who is behind the goal of keeping Hamas in power in Gaza
Hamas didn’t come to power by accident, this is one of the most well funded, powerful terrorist groups in the world…even as an “armed group” or “militant”…it far exceeds anything else and it gets clout like hosted and backed by two western allies. No other group gets this backing and absolute power.
Yes exactly. In fact Hamas was rewarded for rejecting ceasefires and the more it rejected them, the more its hosts got a thank you from the west. It's obvious from the beginning how this happened. The goal after Oct. 7 was to preserve Hamas in power...no one invests in Hamas since 2012 and even more since 2018 and then suddenly just let's it go. Western allies are the main backers of Hamas. Palestinian tweets inside quote box
According to the army's map, the evacuation orders include the Rafah land crossing and its environs. Rafah crossing is the only land crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 11:21:30 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Solo_]
[#8]
EDIT WRONG THREAD - sorry
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Posted: 5/6/2024 12:50:48 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#9]
Link to live blog for articles below
Saudi Arabia warned Israel against targeting Rafah as part of what it called a "bloody and systematic" campaign to storm all areas of Gaza and displace its citizens, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. Senior Hamas officials to faction heads in Gaza: Preparations for an operation in Rafah don't change our stance on a deal Hamas is convinced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is only interested in the first part of a hostage release and cease-fire deal, and that he is ready to give up on the hostages who are slated to be released in the second phase of a prospective agreement. Hamas believes that the prime minister will not fight for the repatriation of the kidnapped soldiers, and that he sees them as a reasonable price to pay for the defeat of Hamas in Gaza. The group claims that Israeli progress toward a military operation in Rafah doesn't change their demand for a complete halt to the fighting and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip. Hamas leaders understand in the meantime that there is no guarantee on the lives of the group's senior members even if Israel agrees to a complete halt to hostilities. From talks in Doha and Cairo, it appears that Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif, and other Hamas leaders abroad know that they may be targets for Israeli assassination even after a cease-fire – if a deal is reached.
Over the past few hours, Israeli fighter jets struck a building used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Srebbine, as well as a rocket-launching post in Ayta ash-Shab, the military says. Earlier today, troops shelled areas near Souaneh with artillery to "remove threats,"the IDF adds.
Hamas claims responsibility for three rocket and mortar attacks on the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip today, where the Israeli military has several forward operating bases. The IDF says no injuries or damage were caused in the attacks. |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 1:41:11 PM EDT
[#10]
This is starting to give me vertigo.
Link to liveblog articles.below. Hamas says it accepts ceasefire proposal, does not specify terms Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh tells Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel that the terror group accepts their terms for a ceasefire with Israel, according to an official announcement from Hamas. The announcement does not specify what those terms are. A senior Hamas official tells Al Jazeera the same. Israel has repeatedly said it will not accept a deal, as repeatedly demanded by Hamas, that conditions the release of hostages on the end of the war. On Saturday, furthermore, an official source, widely believed to be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that Israel had not empowered the mediators to issue guarantees of an end to the war, either. US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators have been negotiating with Hamas in recent days over a three-phase proposal, green-lit by Israel. The proposal has not been published, but reportedly provides, in the first phase, for 33 living hostages — women, children, the elderly and the sick — to be freed during a 40-day truce, in return for hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners. As per the reported text of the offer, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas would begin anew on the 16th day of the truce, to set out an arrangement to restore sustainable calm to Gaza over the second and third stages of the deal. In the second phase, all remaining living prisoners would be released during a further 42-day truce, in return for hundreds more security prisoners, and the IDF would withdraw from Gaza. The third and final stage of the deal would again last 42 days and Hamas would reportedly be required to hand over the bodies of those who were killed on October 7 or died in captivity, in exchange for bodies of Palestinian security prisoners who died in Israeli custody. The rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip would begin during the first phase of the deal, starting with the restoration of Gaza’s roads, electricity, water, sanitation, and communication infrastructure. Preparations for a five-year reconstruction plan for Gaza’s homes and civilian infrastructure would be completed during the second phase of the deal, and construction would begin in the third stage. Officials: Hamas appears to have okayed ceasefire terms that Israel did not approve Israeli officials are cautioning against taking at face value Hamas’s announcement that it accepts a ceasefire deal. Officials tell networks Kan, 12, and 13 that the terms Hamas accepted are not those that Israel agreed to. According to the officials quoted by the networks, the offer Hamas has accepted is one made unilaterally by Egypt and is not being taken seriously in Jerusalem before the details are clarified. An Israeli official tells Reuters that the Hamas announcement appears to be a ruse designed to cast Israel as the side refusing a deal. Hamas announcement that it accepts a ceasefire comes soon after US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and with CIA chief Bill Burns having shuttled from Doha to Jerusalem today. A considerable part of the Biden-Netanyahu call was devoted to the efforts to reach a truce-for-hostages deal. A US National Security Council spokesperson said earlier today that Biden, in the call, reiterated his concerns about an IDF invasion of Rafah and said he believes reaching a ceasefire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 5:45:30 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#11]
View from the other side--Palestinian twitter updates
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Posted: 5/6/2024 8:55:40 PM EDT
[#12]
Long~38 minute video in tweet discussing the war in Gaza. John Spencer is at West Point's Modern War Institute and has written the book, literally, on urban warfare in the late 20th-early 21st centuries. He was also the tunnel expert we linked to early in the war.
Tweets below by Seth Frantzman were responses to this tweet about Hamas mortar crews attacking IDF troops stationed around their east -west corridor in central Gaza:
Because Hamas was allowed to return to control most of Gaza it is now able to coordinate these attacks. The tactical decision to leave areas but try to control on corridor has resulted in this. History says this is not a good strategy to try to control a road while insurgents control everything else. I think the French in Vietnam or others learned this too. Time to reconsider
The worst thing is that the lack of pressure on Hamas made them increase their demands and this ridiculous 1 hostage a day release is vile for them to parade them for months. This is what a policy of withdrawing from everywhere in Gaza got, along with international pressure and Hamas western ally backers. It led Hamas and its handlers to believe they are winning. Back in November they sensed they were not. The February-April policy didn’t work
Seems to me Israel has decided it will engage with the Hamas proposal, and negotiate the details of a deal, but will only do so while putting pressure on the group - both because the group may start dragging its feet, but also clearly (in my opinion) for political considerations. The question is whether Hamas continues to negotiate, or leaves, and how long those negotiations will last - the longer, the riskier. But this would suggest the amended Egyptian proposal, which Hamas accepted, is not a non-starter for Israel. |
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Posted: 5/6/2024 10:04:46 PM EDT
[#13]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 6 May Key Takeaways: Gaza Strip Israeli forces began conducting targeted airstrikes against Hamas in eastern Rafah. Israeli officials have suggested that a clearing operation into the area is imminent. The IDF 143rd Division struck a Hamas command-and-control site inside an UNRWA compound in central Gaza. The IDF said that it used precision weapons in the strike to minimize harm to civilians. The Air Force targeted Palestinian militia sites across the Gaza Strip, including launch sites and booby-trapped buildings. The IDF 679th Armored Brigade directed an airstrike against a Palestinian squad near Israeli forces. Palestinian sources reported Israeli artillery fire in Beit Lahia, Juhor ad Dik, and Zaytoun. Seven Palestinian militias conducted at least 12 indirect fire attacks targeting Israeli forces near the Netzarim corridor. Israeli forces have established forward operating bases along the Netzarim Corridor to facilitate raids into the northern and central Gaza Strip. Palestinian militias have claimed almost daily indirect fire attacks on Israeli forces near the Netzarim corridor. PIJ snipers targeted Israeli forces east of Shujaiya, north of the Netzarim corridor, on May 6. The rocket attack targeting Kerem Shalom on May 5 killed four Israeli soldiers. Hamas fired 14 at Camp Amitai near Kerem Shalom. The IDF was marshalling equipment in preparation for a clearing operation in Rafah. The Air Force struck militia infrastructure near Rafah at the location from which Hamas launched the attack. Palestinian militias conducted three indirect fire attacks into southern Israel on May 6. Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters fired rockets at two Israeli towns near the Israel-Gaza Strip border while the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine mortared Israeli forces near the Sufa military. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least five locations across the West Bank. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fired small arms and detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Tulkarm; during the same operation Israeli forces killed one Palestinian fighter, destroyed an IED production site, and confiscated small arms. Israeli forces detained 13 wanted individuals during raids across the West Bank on May 6. Since 7 Oct, Israeli forces have detained 4,000 individuals in the West Bank, 1700 of which were affiliated with Hamas. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah conducted at least four attacks into northern Israel. Lebanese Hezbollah launched a one-way attack drone targeting Israeli forces in Metula, wounding two Israelis. The IDF and local Syrian sources reported rockets were launched from Syria at Ramat Magshimim in the southern Golan Heights. Ceasefire negotiations Hamas altered and approved the text of the Egyptian-proposed ceasefire deal. Israeli officials said the altered text is “far from Israel’s essential demands.” Iran A senior Iranian military officer described how Iran and the Axis of Resistance could destroy Israel with a multi-front ground attack. The comments suggest Iran is continuing to develop and refine its theory on how to destroy Israel. Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani discussed economic and security cooperation with senior Iranian officials in Tehran on May 6. Barzani met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Rear Adm. Ali Akbar Ahmadian, President Ebrahim Raisi, and Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. In the meeting, Barzani emphasized that his government will not allow “third parties” to use Iraqi Kurdistan to threaten Iranian security, presumably referring to the long-standing Iranian accusation that Israeli intelligence services and Kurdish militias use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base to conduct operations in Iran. Iraq A member of an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia suggested that Iranian-backed forces may soon resume their attacks on US forces. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias suspended attacks targeting US forces in January 2024 after a one-way drone attack killed three US personnel in Jordan. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed it attacked the Ashkelon oil port using Arqab cruise missiles. They also claimed another five drone attacks; targets were an IDF airbase in Eilat, the Leviathan Natural Gas Field in the Mediterranean Sea, the “Johannesburg” base, the “Yarden” base in the Golan Heights, and an unspecified IDF facility.   
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Posted: 5/7/2024 9:33:01 AM EDT
[#14]
Over the past few hours, Israeli fighter jets struck a building used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Srebbine, as well as a rocket-launching post in Ayta ash-Shab:
Israeli fighter jets and other aircraft struck several sites belonging to terror groups in the northern Gaza Strip following rocket fire from the area on the southern city of Sderot The touted Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement collapsed within hours. You can’t trust or reason with terrorists. We’ve long reached this point in the discussion, but for those who are a little behind, the only way this war ends is when every Hamas member is dead. And yes, Israeli forces are dealing with a civilian issue regarding this military operation. The IDF has created humanitarian zones on the outskirts of the city and has been warning the non-Hamas Gazans to flee to safety—yes, they also support the terror group. The main anti-Israel narrative that’s fueled the pro-Hamas circus on college campuses nationwide is that the Jewish state is committing genocide in Gaza. That’s been flatly rejected numerous times, even among international legal bodies, though when you have antisemitism coursing through your veins, facts don’t matter. Here is a call from an IDF officer to a Palestinian civilian in Rafah, urging him to evacuate his family. The man, “Abu Younes,” is reluctant to heed the advice, even telling the officer that they want to die. He also says he wants no peace that comes from Israel. It’s an interaction with a death cult. It’s evil. You can hear children in the background. "Go ahead. Kill the children." This conversation is just. Chilling. Not that it needs to be said, but this undercuts every anti-Israel talking point spewed over the past few weeks. No one who commits genocide calls the people they want to annihilate and warns them to flee to safety. That is number one in the “How Not to commit genocide” guidebook. The Turks didn’t warn the Armenians. The Germans, well, you know the story there. And the Interahamwe didn’t get on Radio Mille Collines to tell Rwandans of Tutsi descent to evacuate to areas that wouldn’t become war zones. As of now, Israeli forces are moving on Rafah, the last bastion of Hamas power in Gaza. And we hope it ends with the total destruction of Hamas. Also, liberal Americans do know that the IDF is staying in Gaza, right? Even after Netanyahu has left power, whoever else, regardless of party, will continue the policy Protesters running from riot Police as they near Met Gala: |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 10:14:13 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#15]
Remember when Biden criticized Israel for using dumb bombs?
The Wall Street Journal reports that the United States has delayed the sale of thousands of precision weapons to Israel. According to sources familiar with the matter, the delayed sale was of about 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) kits, which enable unguided bombs to be steered to a target.
The IDF and Border Police say they have wrapped up a 20 hour operation in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Amid the operation, troops killed a gunman, detained six wanted Palestinians, seized weaponry, and demolished three bomb-making labs, the military says. Combat engineers also ripped up roads where explosive devices were planted, the IDF adds.
Several "suspicious aerial targets" -- believed to be explosive-laden drones launched by Hezbollah -- that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon set off numerous sirens in the Galilee Panhandle, the military says. One of the apparent drones was downed by air defenses, another struck an area near Yiftah, causing a fire, and others caused minor damage at unspecified locations, the IDF says. Another two drones struck open areas, according to the military. The IDF says there are no injuries in the attack. The IDF also confirms carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon last night, hitting Hezbollah positions. Link to live blog articles below The Palestinian Authority called on the United States to "intervene immediately" to prevent Israel from invading Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, the official Palestinian WAFA news agency reported on Tuesday. The Tekuma agency, responsible for rebuilding the Gaza border communities, said residents of Kibbutz Be'eri will not be able to return to the kibbutz for two to three years. IDF says several drones launched from Lebanon into northern Israel were intercepted The Israeli army says that several drones that have infiltrated northern Israel from Lebanon and were successfully intercepted. One drone fell in the Nir's Cliff area near Menara. No casualties nor damage were reported. According to the army's statement, Israeli forces have retaliated and struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Report: Israel will conduct a limited operation in Rafah CNN reports that, according to a source familiar with the details, Israel's incursion into Rafah will be 'a limited military operation' with the objective of pressuring Hamas to agree to the hostage deal. Here are the latest updates on day 214 of the Israel-Hamas war ■ The IDF confirms taking control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing overnight into Tuesday. ■ A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Hamas' cease-fire/hostage deal proposal is unacceptable. ■ CNN reports that, according to a source familiar with the details, Israel's incursion into Rafah will be "a limited military operation" with the objective of pressuring Hamas to agree to the hostage deal. ■ Hamas says that the closing of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom Crossings are a continuation of Israel's policy of starvation and persecution of Palestinians. The group claims that Israel's seizing of Rafah Crossing will undermine cease-fire efforts. ■ Rocket, drone alarms activated in northern Israel for several times during Tuesday. No casualties, damage reported. ■ UN experts claimed on Monday that Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip continue to endanger women and children in what they called "a systematic onslaught of violence." ■ The IDF announced that two soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone strike on the northern city of Metula Monday. The soldiers have been named as: Master Sergeant (Res.) Dan Kamkagi, 31, from Oranim and Master Sergeant (Res.) Nahman Natan Hertz, 31, from Elazar ■ Israeli police detained six right-wing activists overnight into Tuesday during demonstrations that took place on Rout 1 near Jerusalem, in which the protesters attempted to block humanitarian aid trucks headed toward the Gaza Strip. ■ The Wall Street Journal reports that the United States has delayed the sale of thousands of precision weapons to Israel. According to sources familiar with the matter, the delayed sale was of about 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) kits, which enable unguided bombs to be steered to a target.
IDF forces under the leadership of Division 162 began tonight with the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet and Amman in targeted activity and in limited areas in East Rafah against terrorist infrastructures of the terrorist organization Hamas >>
As part of the activity, forces from the 401st Brigade's combat team achieved operational control of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side, in eastern Rafah, following intelligence information that terrorists are using the crossing for terrorist purposes. On Sunday, rockets were fired from the crossing area towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, as a result of which four IDF soldiers were killed and others were wounded >> Hamas & Friends still firing rockets from north Gaza into Israel from an area that has had an IDF presence for 6 months. This isn't criticism of the Israelis, it is evidence of the nature of the millitants Israel is fighting; had they used targeted killings as a strategy like Biden's team wanted it would be even worse.
Israeli fighter jets and other aircraft struck several sites belonging to terror groups in the northern Gaza Strip following rocket fire from the area on the southern city of Sderot last night, the military says. The targets included a building and other infrastructure, according to the IDF. Two of the three rockets fired at Sderot were downed by the Iron Dome, and shrapnel caused slight damage to a home. In another incident, surveillance soldiers of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit spotted an armed cell in the Beit Hanoun area, and called in a drone strike, the IDF says. The strikes come as the troops continue to operate in central Gaza's Netzatrim Corridor. In one incident, the IDF says troops of the Yiftah Brigade spotted a group of gunmen at a building known to be used by terror groups, and called in an airstrike.
Four mortars were launched from the Rafah area at the Gaza border community of Kerem Shalom a short while ago, the IDF says. In an earlier attack two rockets were fired at the same area, with one hitting an open area and the second falling short inside Gaza, the military adds. The IDF says there are no damage or injuries in the attacks. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 11:00:16 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#16]
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Posted: 5/7/2024 11:02:05 AM EDT
[#17]
Two IDF soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah-claimed explosive-laden drone attack against an army position near Metula in northern Israel yesterday afternoon, the military announces. The slain soldiers are named as: Master Sgt. (res.) Dan Kamkagi, 31, of the 551st Brigade's 6551st Battalion, from Kfar Ha-Oranim. Master Sgt. (res.) Nahman Natan Hertz, 31, of the 551st Brigade's 6551st Battalion, from Elazar The IDF says it attempted, but failed, to intercept the explosive drone that ultimately struck and killed the soldiers. Another soldier was lightly hurt in the attack, the military adds. Their deaths bring the toll of troops killed in attacks on the Lebanon border since October 8 to 13. Another nine civilians have been killed in Hezbollah attacks in northern Israel. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:10:52 PM EDT
[#18]
IDF Takes Control of Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt:
Combat engineers of the elite Yahalom unit and the Gaza Division mapped out and demolished two Hamas attack tunnels in northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun: The IDF and Border Police say they have wrapped up a 20 hour operation in Tulkarem. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:45:46 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#19]
Link to liveblog articles
Gaza and Palestinian militants in a nutshell. After 4 IDF soldiers were killed in Kereem Shalom on Sunday, Israel closed the border crossing near the site of the attack. Biden sob sisters complained; Israel said it would open the crossing on Wednesday. Hamas promptly launched rockets at it, again. Israel has committed to reopen the Kerem Shalom border crossing by Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says. He added that the U.S. may not deliver on its Wednesday deadline to confirm to congress Israel's compliance with international law.
The IDF says it carried out a drone strike against a rocket launcher in southern Gaza's Rafah, used in an attack on Israeli border communities earlier. Twelve rockets were launched in the attack, with the Iron Dome downing 5 of them. The other rockets hit open areas, causing no damage or injuries, according to the military. The launcher in Rafah was hit within an hour of the attack, the IDF says. In another attack earlier today, the IDF says six rockets were fired from the Rafah area at Kerem Shalom. No injuries were caused. "The projectiles that were fired toward the area of the Kerem Shalom Crossing are preventing the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The IDF will continue to operate to enable the necessary security conditions to re-open the Kerem Shalom Crossing," the military says in a statement. Here's what you need to know on day 214 of the war. ■ Lior Rudaeff, 61 from Kibbutz Nir Yitzchak, was murdered on October 7 and his body is being held in the Gaza Strip. Rudaeff is the 38th hostage whose death has been determined, out of 132 hostages still held in Gaza. ■ Israel has committed to the U.S. and Egypt to restrict its operation in Rafah, aiming only to deny Hamas authority over the border crossing that connects Gaza with Egypt, and concentrating on the eastern side of the city. ■ Hamas official Osama Hamdan warned in a press conference in Beirut that if Israel's military aggression continues in Rafah, there will be no ceasefire deal. ■ Israel has committed to reopen the Kerem Shalom border crossing by Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says. He added that the U.S. may not deliver on its Wednesday deadline to confirm to congress Israel's compliance with international law. ■ The Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo to continue talks towards an agreement for a cease-fire, followed by a Hamas delegation, in addition to delegations from the U.S. and Qatar. ■ Defense Minister Gallant said, "The operation in Rafah will not stop until Hamas is eliminated, or until the first hostage returns to Israel." Minister Benny Gantz said that "at any stage where we can reach a plan for the return of our hostages, we will do so." ■ Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the decision to send an Israeli delegation to Cairo "a mistake and a fall into the manipulative trap set for us by Hamas, together with Qatar and Egypt." ■ The Tekuma agency, responsible for rebuilding the Gaza border communities, said residents of Kibbutz Be'eri will not be able to return to the kibbutz for two to three years. ■ Rockets continues to be fired at Israel's north and south throughout the day. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 10:42:30 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#20]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 7 May Key Takeaways Gaza Strip Israeli forces launched a limited ground operation to control the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. The IDF said it began a “precise, intelligence-based counterterrorism operation” aimed at eliminating Hamas military infrastructure in eastern Rafah. Hamas fired mortars from the Rafah crossing into Israel on May 5, killing four Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces advanced along the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip to the Rafah border, taking control of the area. Israeli media reported that IDF captured the crossing given its role in smuggling advanced weapons between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in the past. The IDF has been operating in Beit Hanoun in recent weeks to map and destroy two tunnels. At least one of the tunnels was an offensive tunnel used to infiltrate Israel in 2014. The tunnels were discovered last fall shortly after the IDF began ground operations. Israeli forces putthem under surveillance, gathering intelligence to gain a better idea of how the tunnels were used. Israeli forces directed airstrikes at a Palestinian squad in the area near the tunnels. Palestinian militias forces throughout the Gaza Strip; these units retain the capability to disrupt Israeli raids. CTP-ISW has repeatedly reported on Hamas’ intention to reconstitute and assert itself militarily in northern Gaza. Palestinian fighters continued to conduct indirect fire attacks on Israeli forces along the Netzarim corridor. Israeli forces continue to operate from forward operating bases along the Netzarim corridor to facilitate future raids into the northern Gaza. Palestinian militias conducted at least six indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel. West Bank Palestinian fighters detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in Jalboun near Jenin. The IDF completed a 20-hour operation on May 6. The IDF destroyed three IED production sites, killed a Palestinian fighter, confiscated weapons, and raided over 60 buildings. The IDF detained several wanted Palestinians and confiscated weapons and funds in operations across the West Bank. One of those detained in Huwara had tens of thousands of Israeli shekels. Israeli civilians blocked roads and attacked Jordanian aid trucks, damaging several along with their contents. Israeli police arrested six Israelis overnight for their involvement in the attacks. The Jordanian Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the attack and blamed Israel for its failure to prevent attacks on aid convoys. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah conducted at least ten attacks into northern Israel. Hezbollah launched several one-way attack drones targeting Israeli forces in Yiftah and Ramot Naftali, causing minor damage, including a fire in Yiftah. IDF intercepted one drone and said that two other drones landed in open areas. A Hezbollah drone attack killed two IDF reservists in Metula on May 6. Yemen US CENTCOM reported they intercepted a Houthi drone over the Red Sea on May 6. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on May 7 that the crew of a merchant vessel reported two explosions close to their vessel about 82 NM south of Aden, Yemen. Ceasefire Negotiations Hamas acknowledged that the deal it “accepted” on May 6 satisfied its maximalist demands. Israel did not receive the proposal that Hamas accepted until one hour after Hamas accepted the deal on May 6. Ongoing talks suggest that Hamas’ May 6 “accepted” proposal is better understood as a new counterproposal for a maximalist ceasefire. Hamas has not changed its maximalist demands in negotiations since December 2023. Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan [said]..that it had “set red lines that cannot be touched or given up. Iranian Views of the War Iranian officials appear increasingly confident in their view that the Axis of Resistance has the advantage against Israel and will ultimately destroy Israel. Iranian and Axis of Resistance officials are placing increasing emphasis on operations in the Mediterranean. IRGC commander Salami along with other Iranian officials stated that Iran and the Axis of Resistance are “closing the way for the enemy” in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The Houthi movement announced on May 3 that it commenced the “fourth phase” of escalation against Israel by targeting ships in the Mediterranean. A top Iranian military adviser..said in March that the Mediterranean Sea is part of Iran’s strategic depth and that Tehran must accordingly “increase [its] strategic depth [by] 5,000 kilometers", the distance from Iran to the Strait of Gibraltar. Iraq The Iraqi Kurdistan Region president is on a rare visit to Tehran and met with the IRGC commander. Lebanon The IRGC Quds Force commander reportedly traveled to Lebanon in April, possibly to coordinate with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah after the death of the primary Quds Force interlocutor with Hezbollah in an Israeli airstrike in April.     
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Posted: 5/8/2024 2:42:18 AM EDT
[#21]
Terrorist infrastructure, launch site and military buildings; IDF forces are attacking terrorist targets of Hezbollah in six areas at the same time in southern Lebanon
Earlier today, Air Force fighter jets attacked military buildings of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in a number of areas in southern Lebanon, including in Leyda, Maron al-Ras, Yaron, and Al-Hiyam. In addition, a terrorist infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization was attacked in the Kfar Ham area, alongside a mobile launch position of the organization in the Aita al-Sha'ab area in southern Lebanon. During the day, two aerial targets were identified that crossed from Lebanon towards the north of the country, one of them was intercepted by the air defense fighters, minor damage was caused and there were no casualties. Two interceptors in Eilat were fired towards a suspicious target: The IDF carried out a drone strike against a rocket launcher in sotern Gaza's Rafah, used in an attack on Israeli border communities earlier: A "suspicious aerial target" -- thought to be a drone -- heading toward Israel from the eastern direction was intercepted by air defenses over Eilat: |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 9:49:24 AM EDT
[#22]
Link to liveblog articles below
IDF continues to operate at Rafah crossing, but is not advancing towards the city itself The Israel Defense Forces is continuing to operate in eastern Rafah, mainly in the area of the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Special forces are scanning the area to try to locate terrorist infrastructure as well as tunnels that may have been dug into Egyptian territory. At this stage, the IDF is not advancing towards the city of Rafah, where around one million people who have yet to be evacuated are residing. The army is simultaneously preparing for further raids in the north and center of the Strip. Military forces are no longer present in these areas in an ongoing basis, and Hamas is trying to rehabilitate its civilian and military infrastructure there. Israeli army spokesperson: Even after Rafah operation, there will be terrorism; Hamas will regroup in north Gaza Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in an interview with Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth that the army had accepted responsibility for the failures that led to the October 7 attack, and emphasized that "the biggest challenge for me is to win the public's trust. The second-biggest challenge is the international arena." "We are heading towards very complex years when we will need to explain Israel both externally and internally." Hagari added that the army presented a plan to the government for combat in Gaza that would last for around a year. "Gaza is perhaps one of the most difficult arenas in the world. Overcrowded, tunnels." "We didn't have the operational conditions to operate in Rafah three months ago. When you operate in Khan Yunis and [have to] move 400,000 people, where do they go? To Rafah. We had to finish in the north [of Gaza], finish in Khan Yunis," Hagari said. "We will not deceive the public: Even after we take care of Rafah, there will be terrorism. Hamas will move north and regroup," Hagari continued. "We will return and operate wherever it does." IDF: Agricultural work should not be carried out in Gaza border areas on Wednesday The Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said agricultural work should not be carried out Wednesday in areas bordering the Gaza Strip. The army also announced that any activities carried out within a four-kilometer distance of the Gaza border areas should be coordinated with the IDF spokesperson. Qatar calls for 'urgent international action' against Israeli action in Rafah Qatar's foreign ministry announced that the country harshly condemns Israel's bombing of Rafah and the takeover of its land crossing, and calls for "urgent international action" to prevent the "commitment of a genocide." The statement warns that "forcibly displacing civilians" from Rafah, "which has become a final refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, constitutes a serious violation of international laws and would double the worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip." IDF says it struck over 20 Hezbollah targets in northern Lebanon The Israeli army reported that it struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. According to the army, air force fighter jets and artillery forces struck over 20 targets used by the organization, including weapons storage facilities and other military buildings in the area of Ramyeh in southern Lebanon. The army's statement adds that more Hezbollah targets were struck in the areas of Marwahin and Kfarkela.
Earlier today, the IDF completed a broad attack of over 20 targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Ramiya region of southern Lebanon using fighter jets and artillery. Among the targets attacked; military buildings and terrorist infrastructure, in addition, secondary explosions indicating the presence of IML warehouses were detected during the attacks instead of Hamas official: Round of talks in Cairo over; Netanyahu reverted to starting point A senior Hamas official accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of bringing negotiations over a deal to release Israeli hostages held in Gaza back to the starting point. The official told Qatar's The New Arab that Netanyahu did this to buy time. "The hostages' families need to know that the latest round of talks is the last chance to bring their sons back," the official warned. Hamas officials say mass grave found in Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital, or how Hamas dug up their own impromptu cemetery and blamed Israel A Hamas official reported that a mass grave was found Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital compound, and that 49 bodies were found in it so far. This is the seventh mass grave reported found since the start of the war. 84-year-old Alma Avraham, released from Hamas captivity in serious condition, goes home from hospital after six months--tough lady. 84-year-old Alma Avraham, who was released from Hamas captivity in November in a serious condition, was released from Soroka Hospital on Monday after having been hospitalized for six months. "I feel wonderful ... Thank you to everyone," she said upon her release from the hospital. She said that what kept her going was her desire to see everybody, "especially my children and my family." When asked if she would like to convey a message to the government regarding the hostages, she said, "They need to be released now. Now." Avraham was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7, and was recognized by her son Uri in a photo, where she was seen on a motorcycle between two armed terrorists being led into the Gaza Strip. Immediately after her release from Gaza, she was taken by helicopter to Soroka Hospital in a life-threatening condition. Here are the latest updates for day 215 of the Israel-Hamas war ■ The director of the CIA arrived in Israel, and will meet PM Netanyahu. ■ The Israeli army's spokesperson said in an interview with Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth that "Even after we take care of Rafah, there will be terrorism. Hamas will move north and regroup." ■ Israeli army chief Herzl Halevi said at a ceremony that "We have a great responsibility for ... [October 7] and its painful consequences." ■ The IDF is continuing to operate in eastern Rafah, mainly in the area of the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and is not advancing towards the city of Rafah itself. ■ Tel Aviv mayor announced the cancellation of the city's Pride Parade, saying "This isn't the time for celebrations." ■ An IDF drone was found in downtown Kfar Saba in central Israel. ■ Rocket sirens were activated multiple times in northern Israel Wednesday and an anti-tank missile launched from Lebanon hit a house in Metula, the IDF said. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 10:03:21 AM EDT
[#23]
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Posted: 5/8/2024 10:21:19 AM EDT
[#24]
Fantastic video of Israeli air, artillery strikes in tweet
Israeli fighter jets and artillery struck more than 20 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon's Ramyeh earlier today, the military says. The targets included buildings used by Hezbollah and additional infrastructure, according to the IDF. The IDF says it identified secondary blasts after the strikes, indicating the sites were used to store munitions. Additional Hezbollah sites were struck in Marwahin and Kafr Kila, the military adds.
The Israeli military says troops killed several gunmen and located tunnel shafts during operations in eastern Rafah over the past day. The tunnels discovered in the area are being prepared to be demolished by combat engineers, the IDF says. In one incident in eastern Rafah, the IDF says troops of the Givati Brigade spotted an RPG-wielding operative, and killed him. In the area of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt, the military says the 401st Armored Brigade is carrying out raids on the Gazan side, following "indications and intelligence information that terrorists are taking advantage of the crossing area for terror purposes." The Air Force, meanwhile, struck more than 100 targets across the Strip over the past day, including buildings used by terror groups, observation posts, and rocket launchers, the IDF adds.
A Palestinian accused of setting up an explosive-laden Palestinian flag on the side of a highway in the West Bank last month, which wounded an Israeli man, was detained, the Shin Bet security agency says. Muhammad Attullah Abu Alia, 22, a resident of Mughayir, was detained on May 4 over his alleged involvement in the attack on April 21, the Shin Bet says. In his initial interrogation, the Shin Bet says Abu Alia "implicated himself" in building the bomb and carrying out the attack. The agency says during his arrest by the IDF, troops also seized materials which Abu Alia allegedly used to build the bomb. The Israeli man lightly wounded in the incident was an off-duty IDF reservist. Original tweet with video-- I still think he was more than lightly wounded.
The military says it received reports of gunfire directed at a vehicle with Palestinian workers in it on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing earlier today. Several wounded Palestinians were treated by IDF medics in the area, the military says. "The circumstances of the shooting are being investigated," the IDF says. This morning, Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom Crossing for aid trucks, after it was closed for several days following a deadly Hamas rocket attack on troops in the area.
At least two anti-tank guided missiles were launched from Lebanon at the Malkia area a short while ago. Hezbollah claims responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted a military position in the area. The IDF has not yet released information on possible casualties in the incident.
A Border Police officer critically injured during a battle with Palestinian gunmen amid a raid in the West Bank over the weekend has succumbed to his wounds. He is named by police as Chief Inspector Yitav Lev Halevi, 28, a commander in the elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit. He was wounded during an operation in the West Bank town of Dayr al-Ghusun, near Tulkarem, on May 4. Halevi is the son of former Jerusalem District chief, Deputy Commisoner (ret.) Yoram Halevi. Five Palestinian gunmen, members of a Hamas cell responsible for the murder of an Israeli and the injury of others in recent terror attacks in the West Bank, were killed amid the raid.
The IDF says it carried out strikes against Hezbollah positions in six different areas of southern Lebanon overnight, following repeated attacks by the terror group. Fighter jets hit buildings used by Hezbollah in Kafr Kila, Ayta ash-Shab, Khiam, and Maroun al-Ras, the military says. Other Hezbollah infrastructure was hit in Houla and Aitaroun. The IDF adds that troops also attacked areas near Tayr Harfa and Jebbayn to "remove threats." |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 10:42:54 AM EDT
[#25]
The IDF carried out strikes against Hezbollah positions in six different areas of southern Lebanon overnight, following repeated attacks by the terror group.
Israeli troops killed several terrorist and located tunnel shafts during operations in Eastern Rafah over the past day. Israeli fighter jets and artillery struck more than 20 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon's Ramyeh earlier today: |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 11:23:49 AM EDT
[#26]
Hezbollah has “confiscated” funds in Yemen from the Houthis and is playing a role in that country. ..the report reflects concern in the UAE and the Gulf about the Houthis’ increased ties to Iran and other Iranian proxies and that the Houthis are being operationalized to do proxy work for Iran. ..report says..the Houthi militias received “directives from Hezbollah to allocate the largest portion of the financial revenues it earns from the Yemeni governorates in the north to military operations and military industrialization.” Hezbollah now plays a greater role in deciding where the Houthis allocate funds. Hezbollah now contributes to a committee that determines the allocation of financial resources and “how the process of military spending and armament will be carried out.” Hezbollah wants a 70/30 split in terms of where the money goes: 70% for guns and only 30% for food. This “guns or butter” equation is not in favor of what is good for Yemen. Entire article in quote box. Link Is Hezbollah working more closely with the Houthis? - analysis A report in Al-Ain media in the UAE claimed to reveal an interesting development in Yemen. According to the report, Hezbollah has “confiscated” funds in Yemen from the Houthis and is playing a role in that country. The report leaves many questions and is impossible to confirm, but it likely exposes some details that are worth analyzing. First of all, it reflects concern in the UAE and the Gulf about the Houthis’ increased ties to Iran and other Iranian proxies and that the Houthis are being operationalized to do proxy work for Iran. Iran has been actively backing the Houthis in their war on Saudi Arabia since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and other countries intervened in Yemen to prevent the Houthis from taking Aden. There has been a ceasefire in Yemen since 2022, and Saudi Arabia and the Houthis appeared to be on track toward peace because, with China’s backing, Riyadh and Tehran were patching things up. Now the Houthis have directed resources toward joining Hamas in the war against Israel. The Houthis are playing their role by attacking ships. This raises concerns about how Iran may use the Houthis in the future. Behind 'Abu Radwan' The Al-Ain report says the news organization has learned that the Houthi militias received “directives from Hezbollah to allocate the largest portion of the financial revenues it earns from the Yemeni governorates in the north to military operations and military industrialization.” Hezbollah in Lebanon apparently now supervises some of what the Houthis are doing and works as a “mastermind” behind operations. "The sources revealed that Hezbollah addressed the militia leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, by transferring the process of managing the financial resources that the Houthi militias earn from revenues, royalties and taxes from areas under their control to a special committee headed by one of Hezbollah’s experts present in Sanaa, whose nickname is ‘Abu Radwan.’” The name Abu Radwan, if it’s not a made-up name, is possibly linked to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, which is portrayed as the group’s elite unit. The Radwan Force takes its name from the late Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, who was known as al-Hajj Radwan. This was his “war name” or nom de guerre. The fact that a mysterious man in Yemen who is linked to Hezbollah has taken on the name Abu Radwan is entirely plausible, but it’s only plausible in the context of knowing who the original Hajj Radwan was and what is meant by Radwan in the Hezbollah lingo. The article claims that Abu Radwan in Yemen is now “supervising the revenues of the communications and internet sector under the control of the Houthis.” Not only that, but he has done this for years, and he was linked to Hezbollah for years. He is “directly linked to the leadership of Hezbollah and experts from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to finance military activities and arming the militias.” Hezbollah now plays a greater role in deciding where the Houthis allocate funds. Hezbollah now contributes to a committee that determines the allocation of financial resources and “how the process of military spending and armament will be carried out.” There is some kind of cheeky irony in this story because, according to the article, the source said that the goal of Hezbollah in Sinai is to kind of put the Houthi leadership on a diet of finances, “ending the extensive financial privileges enjoyed by the Houthi leadership, including military and security, drying up corruption, transferring funds for the benefit of military operations, and preparing for any future developments.” In essence, Hezbollah has been brought in to bring some austerity here and clean up the Houthi books. The Houthis are like one of those large corporations seen in Office Space, where an efficiency expert asks, “What exactly do you do here”? At the same time, it appears that Hezbollah has sought to squeeze the populace by sending taskmasters out to farm more money for the bosses in Sanaa. “The sources confirmed that Hezbollah asked the Houthi militias to intensify the financial collection process and raise the rates of customs, taxes, port fees and communications costs by no less than 40% during the coming months until the end of the current year.” AND IT gets worse, if you’re a Yemeni who thought peace might bring a peace dividend. It turns out Hezbollah wants a 70/30 split in terms of where the money goes: 70% for guns and only 30% for food. This “guns or butter” equation is not in favor of what is good for Yemen. However, the article reveals the reason for this squeeze. It turns out that the Houthis are not getting so much money from Iraq or Iran, or perhaps Hezbollah is not getting so much from Iraq and Iran. A new “council of experts” has been formed in Sana’a, which has been “granted absolute powers for military and security decisions, controlling even the civilian sector, carrying out bombing or targeting operations inside and outside Yemen’s borders, and even naval attacks against cargo ships.” According to the report, this council is now in charge of military operations, and the Houthi defense ministry has been sidelined. If true, it points to Iran’s IRGC outsourcing some operations in Yemen to Hezbollah. It’s not the first time that reports mention Iran’s IRGC playing a role in overseeing Houthi actions, but it is the first time that Hezbollah’s part has appeared so prominent. It is also known that in early October, after Hamas’s attack, the Houthis created a “joint operations room” to coordinate with the rest of the Iranian axis to threaten Israel. Now it seems it has grown into this “council” and taxation committee. If the report is accurate, then it spells more trouble in the region as Hezbollah grows in its role within the Iranian hierarchy. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 11:31:14 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#27]
As of 10:30 AM Eastern, Hamas is firing rockets, again, at Kerem Shalom where four IDF soldiers were killed Sunday. As usual, no criticism from Western sob sisters about Hamas interfering with the delivery of food to their "starving" brothers.
A barrage of eight rockets was launched from the Rafah area in southern Gaza at southern Israel around an hour ago, the IDF says. Sirens sounded in the community of Shlomit, some 7km from the Gaza border. Hamas claimed to have targeted a military position near Kerem Shalom. There are no reports of injuries or damage.
In 1973 the IDF had vanquished two armies on two fronts. Today Hamas is not defeated and controls most of Gaza and Hezbollah is not deterred at all. Israel could only hope today to be in the position it was in several weeks of war in 1973. Today after seven months it is struggling on two fronts and refuses to even seek victory on one. Tweet referring to IDF attacks on Hezbollah positions. Interesting perspective.
Are these kinds of precision strikes on what is apparently "terrorist infrastructure" winning the war, or just endless proportionalism to manage the conflict, like was done with Gaza before Oct. 6...now normalizing the Hezbollah rocket fire in the north, so that in the future Hezbollah won't be deterred?
I have nothing but scorn for the international community and its NGOs and "human rights" charlatans who did nothing to help the hostages for seven months. They did nothing. This whole war could have been prevented. First of all the west could have told their ally to tell Hamas it can't go to war....and once it did it could have stopped the war and freed the hostages. But instead Hamas leaders gathered in Doha on Oct. 7 and celebrated and western allies smiled and said "that's fine." And that is why there is this terrible war. Because of a toxic disgusting alliance of Hamas, and western allies and western governments and Moscow and Tehran and Beijing..all of which didn't stop this when it could have been prevented. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 1:40:55 PM EDT
[#28]
IDF, Shin Bet killed Hamas naval commander Link
The Israeli army reported in a joint statement with the Shin Bet security service that it killed the commander of Hamas' naval force in Gaza City, Ahmed Ali. According to the statement, Ali operated in recent weeks to carry out attacks against Israeli forces in central Gaza. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 2:19:39 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Solo_]
[#29]
Quote HistoryNMV wrong thread again
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Posted: 5/8/2024 7:45:56 PM EDT
[#30]
Hezbollah is saying bye bye to weapons warehouses struck by Israel.
The Israeli military releases footage from the launch of its operation in eastern Rafah late Monday, as well as clips from the fighting in the area in recent days. The IDF says some 100 targets were struck in the area as the 162nd Division pushed in, capturing the Gazan side of the Rafah Crossing. Troops are currently carrying out raids in the area, searching suspicious sites and buildings from which Hamas operatives opened fire at troops, the military says. Hamas has also launched several rockets from Rafah at southern Israel in recent days. The commander of Hamas's naval forces in Gaza City was killed in a recent airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet security agency announce. A building belonging to Hezbollah's elite Radwan force in southern Lebanon's Jabal Rezlane was struck by fighter jets earlier today: |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 10:19:22 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#31]
  Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 8 May. Key Takeaways Gaza Strip Palestinian militias conducted four indirect fire attacks targeting Israeli forces along the Netzarim corridor north of central Gaza. Six Palestinian militias have conducted daily indirect fire attacks on Israeli forces along the corridor since April 28. Israeli forces have established forward operating bases along the Netzarim corridor to facilitate future raids into areas of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continued a limited operation targeting Hamas fighters and infrastructure in eastern Rafah on May 8. Israeli forces advanced into eastern Rafah overnight on May 7 and seized control of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The IDF 401st Brigade is at the Rafah crossing following IDF intelligence that Palestinian militias were using the crossing for military activity. Israeli media reported on May 6 that the IDF chose to capture the crossing given its role in smuggling advanced weapons between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in the past. Geolocated footage taken by Israeli soldiers and shared on social media shows that Israeli forces have advanced to areas northeast of the Rafah crossing. The IDF Givati Brigade engaged Palestinian fighters in the area and destroyed tunnel shafts. Israeli forces engaged several Palestinian militias in eastern Rafah. Palestinian fighters used mall arms, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), and mortars to target Israeli forces as they advanced east of Rafah City. The IDF said on May 8 that Israeli forces have conducted 100 airstrikes and killed 30 fighters in Rafah since they advanced into the area. The US military finished construction of an offshore pier on May 7 that will help increase the amount of aid brought into the Gaza Strip. Palestinian fighters conducted two indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel on May 8. Hamas fighters fired a barrage of eight rockets targeting Israeli forces near Kerem Shalom in southern Israel. This was the third attack targeting the area since May 5. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least four locations in the West Bank. Israeli forces destroyed a new Palestinian fighter group in Qalqilya on May 8. A man named Alaa Nizal formed the group within the last few months. The Qalqilya Battalion received “hundreds of thousands of shekels” from an unspecified source. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Hezbollah conducted at least 11 attacks from southern Lebanon. The IDF struck over 20 targets in Ramiya in southern Lebanon. Yemen CENTCOM reported that the Houthis conducted four attacks targeting maritime shipping on May 6 and 7. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—an umbrella organization of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed one drone attack on May 7 targeting an unspecified “vital target” in Eilat, southern Israel. Ceasefire Negotiations Hamas’ leaders have very likely calculated that Hamas will survive a Rafah operation and that Hamas should therefore pursue its maximalist ceasefire demands without major concessions. Both Hamas and Israel said on May 8 that talks are stalled. Hamas’ maximalist ceasefire demands appear to have solidified as the IDF drew down its forces in the Gaza Strip beginning in late December 2023. The drawdown indicated to Hamas that the group was winning by forcing the IDF from the Strip. Hamas After Rafah A decapitation strategy aimed at killing Hamas’ senior leaders will not defeat or destroy Hamas. Israel may kill Yahya Sinwar during a major operation in Rafah, but his death will not (directly) achieve Israeli objectives. A decapitation strategy can temporarily disrupt operations and, if used over time and is coupled with other tactics, degrade a terrorist organization's efficiency and effectiveness, but it will not completely destroy one, particularly one as large, established, and well-organized as Hamas. Sinwar indicated to senior Hamas officials in February 2024 that the Hamas was “doing fine” and were “ready for...Rafah.” Sinwar did not fear a Rafah operation because the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the northern Gaza Strip meant Hamas‘ remaining forces in the north would survive. Sinwar’s position almost certainly solidified in April after the remainder of IDF units withdrew from Khan Younis, permanently leaving only one brigade south of Gaza City in the Netzarim Corridor. Hamas will likely survive a major Israeli operation in Rafah if a major operation occurs. Hamas infiltrated and then rebuilt itself in areas that the IDF withdrew from in December 2023 and April 2024. Hamas units in these areas have conducted dozens of attacks targeting Israeli forces attempting to re-clear areas that the IDF had previously cleared. Militias have mortared Israeli forces holding static positions in the Netzarim Corridor. Hamas units outside of Rafah have also reportedly coordinated among themselves to conduct operations against the IDF by coordinating meetings between brigade and battalion commanders. Hamas will survive a Rafah operation because it continues to operate from and control other territory in the Gaza Strip outside of Rafah. United States-Israel Relations The limited Israeli operation to seize the Rafah crossing does not require a shift in US policy toward the war, according to US officials. The US Secretary of Defense confirmed that the United States paused a munitions shipment bound for Israel, however. Officials said that the Biden administration has been considering suspending weapons shipments to Israel or conditioning their use if Israel conducts a major military operation in Rafah. Two senior US officials said the Israelis made clear they wanted to capture the Rafah crossing to put pressure on Yahya Sinwar in the hostage talks. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that a major military operation into Rafah would harm US-Israeli relations.  
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Posted: 5/9/2024 8:30:01 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#32]
IDF starting their third clearing operation in Zeitoun. To be expected when fighting militants that have spent the last 20 years digging tunnels and preparing to fight you.
The Israeli military confirms it has launched a new pinpoint raid in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood overnight, which it says is aimed at "the continued dismantling of terror infrastructure and eliminating terrorists in the area." Ahead of the raid carried out by the 99th Division, the Israeli Air Force struck some 25 sites in the area, including buildings used by terror groups, attack tunnels, observation posts, sniper positions, and other infrastructure, the IDF says. The military says troops of the Nahal Brigade, Yiftah Brigade, and Carmeli Brigade then entered the neighborhood and are working to clear it of Hamas infrastructure. The IDF first operated in Zeitoun at the start of Israel's ground offensive in Gaza last year. It launched another two-week-long raid in the Gaza City neighborhood in late February.
Syrian media says Israeli fighter jets struck a building in southern Syria, on the outskirts of Damascus early this morning. The state-run SANA broadcaster, citing a military source, claims some of the missiles were downed by Syrian air defenses, and the attack caused "some material losses."
An Israeli soldier was killed in a Hezbollah mortar and missile attack on an army position near the northern community of Malkia yesterday, the military announces. The slain soldier is named as Staff Sgt. Haim Sabach, 20, of the Border Defense Corps' 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, from Holon. Another soldier was lightly hurt in the attack, the IDF adds. You don't see this every day--Syrians fighting in Palestinian Islamic Jihad killed in Lebanon. Doesn't look like Syria sent PIJ their best and brightest. Times must be tough, they used the same rifle as a prop in all three pictures. PIJ probably didn't trust these guys with anything more dangerous than dryer lint.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad announces the deaths of three members in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon earlier today. The terror group says the trio are Syrian fighters, part of the Ali al-Aswad Brigade, named after an Islamic Jihad engineer allegedly assassinated by Israel in Syria last year.  Attached File Attached File Attached File
“The pier has been assembled, which was an engineering and logistics challenge for the U.S. Army and Navy. Now comes the operationally challenging part — anchoring the pier and defending it as it begins operations. This challenge falls to the IDF, which has already been attacked while working in this area. Good job getting to this point, but there are a number of additional hurdles to clear.” — Entire analysis article referenced in tweet inside spoiler Click To View Spoiler
Entire article referenced above inside spoiler Click To View Spoiler
Entire analysis article inside spoiler Highpoints Hamas has maintained an active presence in Malaysia for years. The terrorist group began planning and training on Malaysian soil as early as 2010. In 2018, Mossad agents gunned down a Hamas weapons developer in Kuala Lumpur. Hamas’s Al-Quds International Foundation, which the terrorist group uses to move funds, also has a branch in Malaysia. Malaysian lawmaker Datuk Mukhriz bin Tun Dr. Mahathir — the son of a former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamed — is the chair of the Al-Quds board of trustees. Entire analysis inside spoiler Click To View Spoiler |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 12:18:40 PM EDT
[Last Edit: CarmelBytheSea]
[#33]
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ESP
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Posted: 5/9/2024 1:56:56 PM EDT
[#34]
Several rockets were fired from Lebanon at different areas in northern Israel in the last hour, sparking a fire in one strike in the border community of Shlomi:
The Israeli military confirms it has launched a new pinpoint raid in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood overnight, which it says is aimed at "the continued dismantling of terror infrastructure and eliminating terrorists in the area." Dozens of humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom Crossing today. Israel keeps this crossing open despite Hamas’ constant rocket fire toward the area. The IDF makes every effort to provide a constant flow of aid to civilians while Hamas repeatedly shoots at Kerem Shalom. |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 5:02:00 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#35]
Link to liveblog for articles below
Three IDF soldiers moderately wounded in booby-trapped tunnel shaft explosion in eastern Rafah Negotiation talks between Israel, Hamas conclude; Source: 'It looks like a dead end'. Sapir Cohen, former Hamas hostage: Held in Khan Yunis tunnel; met Sinwar but didn't know it Highpoints [At] one point [as they were going to Gaza with the kidnap victims] a younger captor...wanted to take her in the direction of a dirt road, diverting from the direction into Gaza. She said she was scared of what could happen and told an older captor, "I'm a child." She said he responded, "I know, shut up," and told the younger captor "Enough, no, enough." Cohen was initially held in an apartment with former hostage Sahar Calderon, under tight security. "We were with two very barbaric terrorists," she said, "They kept laughing at us and cursing us." Following the IDF's bombings near the apartment, they were moved to the tunnels in the Khan Yunis Entire article in spoiler Click To View Spoiler Elma Avraham, former Hamas hostage: Every day or two transferred to another family, then to the tunnels – 'I was completely alone' Highpoints "When we arrived in Gaza, many people stood outside and applauded. First they took me to the mosque, and then they moved me to some house. The kidnappers protected me from those who wanted to come in and beat me," she said. At one of the kidnappers' houses, they read to her from the Koran and told her to follow them, according to Avraham: "So in my own words, I repeated the Koran after them, and then they said, 'Good, now you are ours.' " After she was moved between four or five apartments, her captors moved her to the tunnels, where she stayed until her release. During her time in Hamas captivity, she did not meet other hostages. "I was completely alone, I didn't see anyone. Every day or two they transferred me to another family." Entire article inside spoiler Click To View Spoiler IDF: U.S. freezing arms shipments - a development that will not end well The IDF said that the U.S.'s decision to freeze weapons shipments is "a development that will end badly." The army emphasized that the U.S.'s security assistance throughout the war has been unprecedented, and that disputes between Israel and the U.S. should be contained to closed discussions, as to not damage security cooperation efforts that are "critical" for Israel. Additionally, the army said humanitarian aid is continuing to enter the Gaza Strip. Discussing the attempts by demonstrators to stop aid trucks from entry, the IDF said, "They pose difficulties on the international level, and the expectation is that the Israel Police will deal with these cases in a determined manner." The IDF also said it estimates that an internal investigation into the circumstances of Oct.7 will take at least until the end of August to complete, due to entering Rafah and continued fighting in southern Gaza. IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi conducted a preliminary 48-hour inquiry into Brigadier General Shlomi Binder, the candidate for the position of head of the IDF's Intelligence Division, which showed no findings that would harm his appointment. Binder's appointment as the head of intelligence has sparked criticism, due to him being seen as having a direct connection to the intelligence failures of Oct. 7, in his current role as head of the operations division in the Intelligence Division. Here are the latest updates on day 216 of the war ■ The delegations for Israel and Hamas in the negotiation talks for a deal, as well as CIA chief Bill Burns, have left Cairo. One source said, "it looks like a dead end," though sources in Israel and Hamas said talks haven't entirely "blown up." ■ The IDF announced the commanders that will lead the investigations into the IDF's response in communities, army bases and outposts on Oct. 7. ■ The army estimated that an internal investigation into the circumstances of Oct.7 will take at least until the end of August to complete. ■ Pro-Israel U.S. Republican senators held a joint press conference, where they assailed President Biden over his decision to end heavy weapons shipments to Israel. ■ White House Spokesperson John Kirby said President Joe Biden will continue to provide Israel "with the capabilities that it needs," however he "does not want certain categories of American weapons used in" an operation in Rafah. ■ Kirby said the U.S. is willing to help Israel target Hamas leaders and promote an alternative government structure in Gaza, but "Smashing into Rafah will not advance the objective of defeating Hamas." ■ Minister Benny Gantz said the U.S. has a "moral and strategic obligation" to provide Israel with the necessary tools to return the hostages and remove the threat of Hamas on Israel. ■ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "There was an arms embargo on Israel [during the War of Independence]…but we won." ■ According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration's decision last week to freeze the transfer of heavy weapons to Israel was meant to be a quiet signal that Israel should try to reach a deal and avoid an operation in Rafah, but the decision was leaked. ■ Three IDF soldiers were moderately wounded in eastern Rafah from an explosion caused by a booby-trapped tunnel shaft. ■ Slovenia initiated the procedure for the recognition of a Palestinian state as a form of leverage to end the conflict in Gaza, the country's Prime Minister Robert Golob said. ■ Thousands protested in Malmo, Sweden against Israel's participation in Eurovision, ahead of the song contest's semi-final on Thursday. ■ The entrance to Mizpe Ramon was reopened after right-wing protesters held up aid trucks for six hours on their way to Gaza. ■ Former Hamas hostage Elma Avraham, 85, was released from the hospital on Wednesday, after being hospitalized in serious condition following her release. Avraham said during her captivity, she was moved between four or five apartments before then being moved to the tunnels, and she did not meet any other hostages. ■ The IDF reported that two launches fell in open areas in Shlomi, in northern Israel. Additionally, it reported that a hostile aerial target in northern Israel was intercepted and that it attacked the sources of the launches. ■ Israel's Defense Ministry and National Insurance reported that in the past year, there were 821 fallen soldiers and 834 victims of terrorism. |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 6:24:33 PM EDT
[#36]
White House Aide Warns Israel Against ‘Smashing Into Rafah’ Link
Highpoints White House spokesman warned on Thursday that Israel “smashing into Rafah” would not eradicate Hamas as he urged the country to find alternatives to the long-threatened assault on a city where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. John F. Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said President Biden shares Israel’s goal of eradicating the terrorist group. “An enduring defeat of Hamas certainly remains the Israeli goal, and we share that goal with them,” Mr. Kirby said. “Smashing into Rafah, in his view, will not advance that objective, will not get to that sustainable and enduring defeat of Hamas.” Mr. Kirby said the United States was still working with Israel on ways it can help it defeat Hamas, such as ensuring that the border between Gaza and Egypt cannot be used for smuggling weapons and targeting Hamas’s leaders. Entire article in spoiler Click To View Spoiler |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 9:59:12 PM EDT
[#37]
 institute for Study of War Backgrounder 9 May Key Takeaways Gaza Strip Israeli forces continued to conduct a limited operation into eastern Rafah on May 9. Israeli forces have destroyed 10 tunnel shafts and killed around 50 Palestinian fighters since entering eastern Rafah. Hamas detonated a tunnel shaft near East Rafah, injuring three Israeli soldiers. Palestinian militias also fired small arms and conducted indirect fire attacks targeting Israeli forces entering eastern Rafah. US officials told NBC that Israel has refused to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas unless the IDF can proceed with a military operation into Rafah. The officials said that the Netanyahu government wants to conduct military operations into Rafah even during a ceasefire. [President Biden] said that, should Israel advance military operations into populated areas, the United States would not supply artillery shells, bombs for fighter jets, and other unspecified offensive weapons during a televised interview with CNN published on May 8. Israeli negotiators left Cairo on May 9 with no planned return for further ceasefire talks. Hamas conducted a rocket attack from eastern Rafah targeting Kerem Shalom on May 8. The first salvo of rockets fell short of Israel. second attack injured an Israeli soldier. The IDF separately reported on May 9 that an unidentified object launched from the Gaza Strip fell in Israel without causing damage. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least one location in the West Bank on May 9. The IDF detained 31 wanted individuals in the West Bank during overnight operations, including two Hamas fighter. Israeli forces confiscated incendiary materials. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades targeted Israeli forces in Qabatiya, Jenin governorate, with small arms fire. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights The IDF conducted a drone strike that killed four Hezbollah Radwan fighters in Balfiyeh in southern Lebanon on May 9. Lebanese Hezbollah mourned the deaths of three of its fighters on May 9, presumably from Israeli strikes. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed three attacks targeting Israel. Israel was likely responsible for an airstrike targeting a Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba (HHN) site in Sayyida Zeinab, Syria, on May 9. Syria Israel was likely responsible for an airstrike targeting a Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba site in Sayyida Zeinab, Syria. Yemen Houthi supreme leader Abdul Malik al Houthi said during a speech that the Houthis would escalate attacks against Israel following Israel’s limited operation into Rafah.  
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ESP
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Posted: 5/10/2024 9:27:44 AM EDT
[#38]
Israeli fighter jets struck buildings and other infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the southern Lebanon towns of Kafr Kila, Alma ash-Shab, and Yaroun:
Israel Defense Forces operate against Hamas in Rafah. Joe Rogan for calling out “roaches” like Jake Sheilds, who have “come out of the woodwork” since Oct 7 Two armed Hezbollah terrorist were struck by the Israeli Air Force in southern Lebanon's Yaroun earlier today Remembering SGT Adi 🕯️ Israel Defense Forces: |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 11:35:11 AM EDT
[#39]
Link to liveblog articles below. Visit link periodically for updates.
Even the bugs are Hamas The IDF announced that, while operating in the Gaza Strip, soldiers encountered a wasp nest, reporting that a dozen soldiers were treated for wasp stings. One soldier is in moderate condition, and 11 others are lightly wounded from the stings. According to a CNN report, Hamas is demanding an initial 12-week ceasefire in the most recent round of negotiations, with Israel staunchly opposed. Netanyahu on post-war Gaza: It will have to be a civilian gov't receiving assistance from UAE, Saudi Arabia In an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked about what post-war Gaza will look like, and said that "there will probably have to have a civilian government... with Gazans that are not committed to our destruction. Possibly, I think, with the aid of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries who want stability and peace." IDF names four soldiers killed in Gaza combat The Israel Defense Forces released Friday the names of four soldiers killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, and added that four other soldiers were severely wounded. The four soldiers killed are Sergeant Itay Livny, 19, from Ramat HaSharon; Sergeant Yosef Dassa, 19, of Kiryat Bialik; Sergeant Ermiyas Mekuriyaw, 19, from Be'er Sheva; and Sergeant Daniel Levy, 19, from Kiryat Motzkin.
Four Israeli soldiers were killed during fighting against Hamas in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood this morning, the military announces. The troops are named as: Sgt. Itay Livny, 19, of the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion, from Ramat Hasharon. Sgt. Yosef Dassa, 19, of the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion, from Kiryat Bialik. Sgt. Ermiyas Mekuriyaw, 19, of the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion, from Beersheba. Sgt. Daniel Levy, 19, of the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion, from Kiryat Motzkin Another officer and soldier of the 931st Battalion were seriously wounded in the same incident. According to an initial IDF probe, the four soldiers were killed by an explosive device or devices in an alleyway. The troops had been raiding a school complex where the military had indications of Hamas activity. Weaponry and at least one tunnel was discovered in the area of the school. Separately, another two soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade's 9th Battalion were seriously wounded by RPG fire on a tank in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. Palestinian sources: Hamas and other factions to intensify fighting against IDF in northern Gaza in coming days Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip said that Hamas and other combat factions intend to increase their operations against the Israel Defense Forces in northern Gaza and Gaza City in the coming days. The goal, according to them, is to convey a message to Israel that there are still functioning command and control systems in the northern Gaza Strip even after seven months of fighting, and that a Rafah offensive will not end the war. IDF: Terror infrastructure destroyed in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood, tunnel shafts uncovered in east Rafah The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that terrorist infrastructure was destroyed and Hamas weapons and intelligence were located during a raid in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood. In another operation in eastern Rafah, Israeli military forces are working to destroy terrorist infrastructure and locate weapons and tunnel shafts. According to the IDF, dozens of terrorists were killed during the operation. Israeli Air Force strikes Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon The Israel Defense Forces announced Friday that the Air Force struck Hezbollah infrastructure in a number of villages, as well as two Hezbollah operatives carrying weapons, in areas near Israel's border with Lebanon. In southern Lebanon, two deaths were also reported as the result of an Israeli strike in the town of Tayr Harfa. According to the reports, the two killed were technicians for a communications company who were repairing infrastructure in coordination with the Lebanese army. Here's what you need to know on day 217 of the war ■ In an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, PM Netanyahu said that "there will probably have to have a civilian government... with Gazans that are not committed to our destruction… with the aid of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries." ■ According to a CNN report, Hamas is demanding an initial 12-week ceasefire in the most recent round of negotiations, with Israel staunchly opposed. ■ Netanyahu also told Dr. Phil that the October 7 failures are 'first of all' to the Israeli government: 'People weren't protected.' ■ Spain, Ireland and other European Union member countries plan to recognize a Palestinian state on May 21, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said ■ UNRWA says 110,000 people have fled Rafah as the IDF is operating in the area. ■ Israeli tanks have reportedly captured the main road dividing the eastern and western halves of Rafah on Friday, effectively encircling the entire eastern side of the city. ■ The IDF announced that, while operating in the Gaza Strip, soldiers encountered a wasp nest, reporting that a dozen soldiers were treated for wasp stings. ■ UNWRA's East Jerusalem headquarters temporarily closed after 'Israeli residents set fire' to the compound's perimeter, according to agency head Philippe Lazzarini. With a little help from Moscow and Beijing, Israel lost the social media battle In the days and hours after the blast in Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on October 17, social media was rife with claims that Israel was responsible for it. Though it turned out not to be the case, even today, false posts about what happened there continue to appear online, claiming without a shadow of a doubt that it was the IDF that bombed the hospital. Many in Israel consider these posts as no more than false propaganda – fake news designed to shift international public opinion on the war in the Gaza Strip. But social media researchers and activists who fight fake news see something else: Israel's total failure in its "hasbara" (public diplomacy) campaign, which has come despite an abundance of warning signs. An analysis of these posts and of other similar ones, demonstrates that its not just popular online support boosting the false claims. Those active against the Israeli narrative are well organized. According to several social media researchers, Israeli high-tech workers who volunteered in the different influence efforts, and sources in the Israeli intelligence community, an array of forces have aligned to back the pro-Palestinian narrative. Entire article in spoiler Click To View Spoiler |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 12:59:41 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#40]
Update--they ran over the nest with a tank
Twelve soldiers were wounded after being stung by wasps in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today. The incident occured amid an operation by the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade in the border area, near the community of Nirim. A tank had driven over a large wasp nest, leading the insects to sting the troops. One of the soldiers is listed in moderate condition, and the other 11 are lightly hurt, the IDF says. They were taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment. Longer article in Jerusalem Post about wasp incident. One soldier is in the ICU. Link. The article refers to the stinging insects as "wasps", "hornets", and " bees", so who knows what they really were. In February they reported problems with stray dogs. Link IDF combat soldiers were the target of attacks by packs of stray dogs inside the Gaza Strip over the past several days, KAN News reported on Tuesday, citing combat soldiers and other sources within the Israeli military. The report, first revealed on KAN Reshet B's noon radio show, claimed that hundreds of wild canines have been approaching soldiers at military gathering areas across the northern Gaza Strip. No IDF soldier was reported to have been injured by the dogs, who were reported by combat soldiers on the ground as being overly aggressive, "growling and baring teeth while approaching and trying to bite the troops," the report noted. |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 7:08:15 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#41]
Liveblog articles below can be found here.
The Israeli army says that Hamas' launch sites in Rafah, from which rockets were launched toward the southern city of Be'er Sheva earlier on Friday, were struck and destroyed. Firefighters trying to extinguish blazes that broke out following rocket barrages at Kiryat Shmona.  Firefighters are still trying to extinguish blazes that broke out following the rocket barrages that were fired from Lebanon at the Kiryat Shmona area earlier Friday. According to the National Fire and Rescue Authority, crews are extinguishing fires at two locations in open areas in the region. The commander of the Authority's northern command, Brig. Yair Elyakam, said "The weather, combined with the heavy barrage, resulted in multiple [fire] scenes – a scenario for which we prepared and to which we responded with increased manpower accordingly." White House says cease-fire talks have concluded, gaps on Gaza deal can still be surmounted. Just one problem, John. Israel does not occupy southern Gaza in any meaningful way, thus they are not the "occupying power" and aren't responsible for feeding civilians that are in areas Hamas controls. You should have rebuked Hamas for not laying down their arms to allow aid to enter. In-person talks on a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages agreement have concluded for now with no deal, but the U.S. believes remaining gaps can be surmounted, the White House said on Friday. "Obviously we don't have a deal and that's deeply regrettable," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. He said that while the in-person meetings have ended, "we are working hard to keep both sides engaged in continuing the discussion, if only virtually ... We still believe that a deal is possible." He added that an agreement will require leadership and moral courage. Kirby also said the U.S. is watching Israel's military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah with concern and wants the Rafah crossing reopened immediately. He said the activity there did not appear to reflect a large-scale invasion. "It appears to be localized near the crossing and largely with the forces they had put in there at the beginning. That said, we are watching it with concern," Kirby said. "One again, we urge the Israelis to open up that crossing to humanitarian assistance immediately," he added. New satellite images show rapid emptying of Rafah refugee camps According to UN estimates, over 110,000 people have fled Rafah since Monday due to the entry of Israeli military forces into the eastern outskirts of the city. Recent satellite images show the rapid emptying of the refugee camps that were set up in Rafah in earlier stages of the war. Here are the latest updates on day 217 of the Israel-Hamas war ■ The Israeli army named four soldiers that were killed in an explosion in the northern Gaza Strip. ■ Over 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel, resulting in multiple fires breaking out. Fourteen rockets were fired from Rafah and central Gaza at Israel's south. ■ Israel's security and war cabinet approved continued IDF activity in Rafah. ■ The UN General Assembly backed a Palestinian bid for membership; the U.S. and Israel voted against the resolution. ■ A soon-to-be released Biden administration report does not conclude that Israel has violated the terms for its use of U.S. weapons, according to AP sources. ■ Hamas will hold consultations with Palestinian factions to reconsider its truce negotiating strategy, a statement said. ■ Palestinian sources said that Hamas and other factions will intensify fighting against the IDF in northern Gaza in the coming days. ■ Israel's defense and finance ministers sparred over the procurement of F-35 aircraft from the U.S. |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 8:02:09 PM EDT
[#42]
This is increasingly the story of the whole war. The tactic of going into one place...the terrorists all move to the place nearby...then the forces leave and the terrorists return...then the forces go into place number 2...the terrorists go to place 3...then the forces go into place 3....the terrorists go back to place 1....the forces go into place 1...terrorists go to place 4... It's so obviously a problematic tactic and not a strategy...but there are rooms full of people that think it is working. And given the fact that Hamas is not being defeated, it leaves serious questions about any tactic/strategy against Hezbollah. If Hamas, which is smaller, is being chased around like this...then what it the plan for Hezbollah. And precision airstrikes are not a plan...they don't accomplish much. This is obvious. Seven months of airstrikes in Lebanon have not, apparently, reduced Hezbollah capabilities at all. Because airstrikes on empty sheds don't win wars. Everyone knows this...but it's easier to count empty sheds struck with precision munitions...and easier to claim huge numbers of terrorists eliminated in Gaza, than see the Hamas forest for trees....or the Hezbollah elephant in the room.
October 7th cannot become Palestinian Independence Day. IMO that would send a signal to all terrorist groups (Hamas, Fatah, Hezbollah, Iran) in the Middle East that terrorism works and is rewarded. If there is to be a Palestinian state it should be through a political process founded on an abandonment of terrorism and a recognition of all parties to exist.  Attached File
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Posted: 5/10/2024 8:23:41 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#43]
ETA--video in different feed
Video of Hamas shooting Gazans.
 Attached File Attached FileLinks from original post. Might not work. Video out of Gaza shows Hamas gunmen opening fire at Gazan civilians — allegedly for stealing. Link. This is how the Hamas terror regime treats its own people. Undoubtedly, any deaths from instances like this get lumped into casualties of the war and blamed on Israel. |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 8:45:18 AM EDT
[#44]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 10 May Key Takeaways Palestinian activity in north Gaza (Zeitoun) Palestinian militias conducted at least 17 attacks targeting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Zaytoun on May 10, suggesting that Hamas was able either to preserve or reconstitute military capability in Zaytoun despite IDF operations there. The IDF launched a re-clearing operation into Zaytoun neighborhood, southern Gaza City, on May 8, marking the third time that the IDF has conducted a clearing operation. there. Hamas fighters used snipers, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars in five of the 17 attacks. The ops tempo demonstrated isn't typical of a defeated or demoralized force. Hamas infiltrated and began reconstituting itself in the northern Strip after the IDF withdrawal in December 2023. ans to fight. Palestinian militias retain the will and the means to continue disrupting and defending against IDF raids, as evidenced by the rate of Palestinian militia attacks during this raid. The resilience of Hamas and other Palestinian militia groups in Zaytoun is a strong indicator that an IDF operation in Rafah will not destroy Hamas. Hamas has survived as a military entity in the remainder of the Strip, including north Gaza. Hamas is active outside of Zaytoun in areas the IDF has not attempted to re-clear. The group has targeted Israeli forces east of Jabalia, six kilometers north of Zaytoun. This would indicate Hamas cells have a safe areas, most likely in Jabalia or northern Shujaiya. The IDF has not conducted operations in either of these areas since it began drawing down its forces in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip The IDF 2nd Reservist Infantry Brigade and Nahal Brigade continued a limited raid targeting Palestinian militias in Zaytoun. The IDF Nahal They enggaged Palestinian fighters at close range and directed airstrikes; seized small arms, ammunition; and Hamas intelligence material. The Air Force bombed a building that was "booby-trapped". Local sources reported that Israeli armor operated near the Dawla Roundabout. Israeli forces operated in these specific zones of Zaytoun in two previous operations in Nov 2023 and Feb 2024. Israeli forces continued to defend against Palestinian militia attacks on Netzarim Corridor. The 679th Brigade directed an airstrike on a Palestinian militia cell departing a munitions warehouse. Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command (PFLP-GC) fighters fired rockets at Israeli positions on the Netzarim Corridor. PFLP-GC is a Palestinian faction based primarily in Syria. The faction receives support from Iran and has cooperated with other elements of the Axis of Resistance. The Israeli cabinet unanimously approved an expansion of IDF operations in Rafah. Two unspecified sources with knowledge of the operational plans told Axios that the approved "measured expansion" does not cross US President Joe Biden’s "red line" for a “major military operation“ in Rafah. A third source disagreed and said that the approved operation could be interpreted by the US as crossing Biden's red line. US President Joe Biden said on May 8 that the United States will stop supplying Israel with certain weapons if Israel conducts a major military operation into Rafah. IDF operations in eastern Rafah remained limited. The IDF Givati Brigade (162nd Division) continued to operate in eastern Rafah to destroy militia infrastructure. The IDF has killed dozens of fighters, located tunnel shafts, and seized weapons since beginning limited clearing operations. The IDF 401st Armored Brigade (162nd Division) also engaged several Palestinian militia cells near the Rafah crossing. Hamas conducted three tactically sophisticated attacks targeting Israeli forces in Rafah. One attack targeted Israeli forces with thermobaric bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, and anti-personnel rockets in a multi-stage attack. Two other attacks targeted Israeli forces using a tunnel shaft and a pre-laid minefield near a military site in eastern Gaza. The sophisticated nature of these attacks required planning, coordination, and organization, further underscoring that the Hamas battalions in Rafah are cohesive fighting units that can mount a deliberate defense against Israeli clearing operations. Palestinian militias, including Hamas, conducted 18 total attacks against an IDF advance into eastern Rafah on May 10. The militias conducted at least eight mortar or rocket attacks targeting Israeli forces in the eastern Rafah neighborhoods of al Shoka, al Salam, and al Bayuk on May 10. Palestinian fighters also engaged Israeli forces eight times near a military site in the al Bayuk area along the Salah al Din Road.[39] UN officials stated on May 10 that no fuel and “virtually no” humanitarian aid has entered the Gaza Strip for five days. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT)—a department within the Israeli Defense Ministry—said that 200,000 liters of fuel entered the Kerem Shalom crossing on May 10. UN officials told the Washington Post that the aid trucks that the IDF had allowed to enter through the Kerem Shalom crossing were unable to move further into the Gaza Strip due to heavy fighting near the crossing. Palestinian militias conducted seven indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip targeting southern Israel. Hamas conducted five of the seven attacks, including two separate rocket barrages on Beer Sheva and a mortar attack on a military site near Kerem Shalom. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least one location in the West Bank. Unspecified fighters fired small arms at Israeli forces in Rafidia, near Nablus. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least eight attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. The number of attacks was consistent Hezbollah’s daily rate of attacks over the last week. Hezbollah fired at least 20 rockets targeting Kiryat Shmona, damaging to buildings. The IDF Northern Command conducted military exercises in northern Israel on May 10 to simulate combat in Lebanon. Units from the 91st Division and Etzion Brigade (36th Division) participated in the exercises, which included practicing coordination in mountainous terrain and resupplying “maneuvering forces” by air. The IDF said that the exercises are meant to improve readiness for a potential conflict in northern Israel. Iran Iranian hardliners are continuing to discuss Iran’s ability to procure a nuclear weapon. These discussions coincide with an April 2024 report that claimed that Iran is attempting to obtain 300 tons of uranium yellowcake from Niger. A hardline Iranian member of parliament speculated that Iran had developed nuclear weapons in an interview on May 10.[9] Newly-elected Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani told the moderate-aligned Rouydad 24 outlet that Iran had obtained nuclear weapons but had not and would not announce that it had nuclear weapons. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed three drone attacks targeting the “Elifalet” base near Safed in northern Israel, an Israeli gas platform in the Mediterranean Sea, and Ovda Airbase in Eilat, Israel. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also claimed two drone attacks targeting a separate IDF base and an unspecified “vital target” in Eilat, Israel.   
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Posted: 5/11/2024 10:04:50 AM EDT
[#45]
Link to all liveblog articles below here
Hamas publishes footage of Israeli hostage Nadav Popplewell  Hamas published a video of Nadav Poplewell, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim. Popplewell, 51 years old, was taken to Gaza with his mother Channa Peri, who was released in the hostage deal in November. His brother Roy was killed in the October 7 attacks. In the short video that was published, he identifies himself by name, and is visibly bruised in one of his eyes. Israeli army deploys forces to Jabaliya in northern Gaza, say Hamas has reorganized in the area The IDF deployed forces to the city of Jabaliya, north of Gaza City, months after it announced that Hamas had been defeated ceased to exist as a military framework in the area. On Saturday morning, the army called on Jabaliya's residents to evacuate to western Gaza City in preparation for renewed combat in the area. According to military officials, after the withdrawal of the forces from the large portions of Gaza last month, Hamas reorganized in the northern region. The army said that after the evacuation of the residents, forces that were initially prepared to operate in Rafah will enter Jabaliya. Two residential houses in Metula, near the border with Lebanon, were hit by anti-tank missiles earlier on Saturday. Israeli army calls on residents of Jabliya and Beit Lahia in northern Gaza to evacuate to western Gaza City The IDF Spokesperson in Arabic, Avichay Adraee, called on residents of Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya, two neighborhoods in northern Gaza, to evacuate to western Gaza City. In a post on X, Adraee advised residents that they "are in a dangerous combat zone," and that "Hamas is trying to rebuild its capabilities in the region, and therefore the IDF will work with great force against the terrorist organizations in the region in which you are located, and therefore everyone who is in those areas exposes themselves and their families to danger." Adraee also called on residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate to the humanitarian zone in the coastal al-Muwasi region in southern Gaza. Australia says Palestinian UN membership bid builds peace momentum or more useful idiots in the West. How will this bring peace when you reward the attack of 7 Oct and send a clear message violence against old and infants. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday the country's support for a Palestinian bid to become a full United Nations member was part of building momentum to secure peace in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Australia voted on Friday with the overwhelming majority of the UN General Assembly in backing the resolution that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state. It recommended the Security Council "reconsider the matter favorably." France demands Israel to halt assault on Rafah immediately France on Friday has called on Israel to immediately halt its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The foreign ministry in Paris announced that the military operation is threatening a catastrophic situation for the civilian population in Gaza, who have already been displaced several times and for whom there are no longer any safe areas in the Gaza Strip. Israel should resume negotiations, it said, as this was the only way to achieve the immediate release of the hostages and a lasting ceasefire. According to the Foreign Ministry in Paris, Israel must immediately reopen the Rafah Crossing into Egypt, which is essential to both civilian access to humanitarian aid and for the most vulnerable people to leave the Strip. France also condemned the attacks by Israeli settlers on a Jordanian aid convoy and called on the Israeli authorities to put an end to the settlers' violence. |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 3:53:16 PM EDT
[#46]
Link to liveblog articles below
Here's what you need to know on day 218 of the war ■ Staff Sgt. Ariel Tsym, 20, from the central Israeli city Modi'in was killed in combat in northern Gaza, according to an IDF announcement. ■ The Israeli army announced that it is establishing a new field hospital in Dir al-Balah in Gaza. ■ A drone exploded in an Israeli town on Lebanon border, no casualties were reported. ■ Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the entry of aid into Gaza from the Rafah crossing due to Israel's "unacceptable escalation", Egypt's state affiliated Alqahera News satellite TV reported. ■ Protests demanding the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and early elections are taking place on Saturday across Israel. ■ AIPAC issued a statement claiming that the State Dept report shows U.S. President Joe Biden must immediately reverse the pause in arms shipment to Israel. ■ Multiple streets in the northern Israeli city Kiryat Shmona suffered a power cut due to a rocket hitting electricity power line in town. IDF says air force struck Hezbollah military building in southern Lebanon IDF heavily attacks northern Gaza; IDF spokesperson: Hamas tunnel located The Israeli army has begun heavily attacking in northern Gaza, including aerial and artillery strikes. IDF spokesperson Dinel Hagai said that the forces in Gaza started attacking in the Zaytun neighboorhood, and that they located a tunnel that Hamas used for planning terror attacks. Hostile aircraft sirens were activated in multiple towns in northern Israel, including Kfar Yuval, Kfar Giladi and Margaliot. Egypt refuses to coordinate with Israel on entry of aid from Rafah crossing, Alqahera News reports Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the entry of aid into Gaza from the Rafah crossing due to Israel's "unacceptable escalation", Egypt's state affiliated Alqahera News satellite TV reported on Saturday, citing a senior official. Israeli army returns to Jabaliya, accuses Hamas regrouping on lack of diplomatic process Link to full article. Full article also in spoiler below. Jabalya in February. Jabalya was the site of one of the first controversies in the war, when the IDF bombed an apartment building that completely collapsed due to tunnels dug around its foundation.  The IDF deployed forces to the city of Jabalya, north of Gaza City, months after it announced that the Hamas battalions in it had been defeated, and that it no longer has a military framework in the area. The IDF claimed, unofficially, that the absence of a clear diplomatic process in conjunction with the fighting and the lack of defined objectives are affecting the military achievements of the war. Palestinian sources in Gaza told Haaretz that Hamas and other factions are trying to intensify the fighting in the northern part of the Strip and in Gaza City in particular through guerrilla tactics, attempting to convey that the organization is still functioning and in control of what is happening in the Strip. Entire article in spoiler Click To View Spoiler |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 4:10:41 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#47]
Sinwar not hiding in Rafah, officials tell Times of Israel
Officials say recent intel placed the Hamas leader in underground tunnels around Khan Younis, as the accused October 7 mastermind continues to elude Israeli forces in Gaza Sinwar not hiding in Rafah, officials tell Times of Israel as PM publicly prioritizes IDF op there Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is not hiding in Rafah, two officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Friday, as the Israel Defense Forces moves to expand its operations in Gaza’s southernmost city. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has elevated a potential IDF operation in Rafah to the top of his public agenda, with the targeting of Hamas’s leadership believed to still be a major Israeli war aim as well. The IDF has had some success on this front, killing Hamas military wing deputy commander Marwan Issa — considered the terror group’s No. 3 leader in Gaza — along with other senior commanders in recent months. But Sinwar and his deputy — military wing chief Mohammed Deif — have remained elusive, despite repeated claims by Israeli officials that the IDF was closing in on them. The two officials speaking to The Times of Israel were unable to say with certainty where Sinwar is currently located, but they cited recent intelligence assessments that placed the Hamas leader in underground tunnels in the Khan Younis area, some five miles north of Rafah. A third official — an Israeli one — asserted that Sinwar is still in Gaza. Israel has made eliminating Sinwar a key element of its goal to destroy Hamas. In February, the IDF released footage of what it said was Sinwar walking through a tunnel with several family members, the first time he was apparently spotted since going into hiding before the devastating October 7 onslaught he’s accused of orchestrating, triggering the ongoing war in Gaza. IDF ground forces began operating in Rafah on Monday, launching a targeted operation in the eastern part of the city aimed at taking over the Gaza side of the border crossing with Egypt. The security cabinet voted Thursday to approve a measured expansion of the Rafah operation in what is aimed at remaining within the scope of what Washington is willing to accept. US President Joe Biden said he would stop sending certain offensive weapons to the IDF if Israel went forward with a major ground offensive in the population centers of the city where over one million Palestinians are sheltering. He already withheld a shipment of high payload bombs last week amid fears they’d be used in Rafah. Netanyahu has pledged to launch a major offensive in Rafah for months, arguing that the operation is essential for defeating Hamas, which has four of its remaining six active battalions located in the city. But one of the officials speaking to The Times of Israel said many Hamas fighters in Rafah have fled northward as Israeli threats of an invasion intensified in recent weeks. While Israel says 18 of Hamas’s 24 battalions have been dismantled, the terror group’s fighters have managed to regroup and return to areas previously cleared by the IDF. The IDF was operating in the Gaza City neighborhood of Zeitoun this week for the third time since the war’s outbreak, with security officials warning that the IDF would be forced to continue playing this game of cat and mouse with Hamas until the Israeli government advances a viable alternative to Hamas rule. While much of the security establishment would like to see the Palestinian Authority — or at least Palestinians linked to the PA — fill the vacuums that the IDF is briefly creating through its operations throughout the Strip, Netanyahu has rejected the idea outright, as his far-right allies have pushed for Israel to permanently occupy the Strip and re-establish settlements there. Absent a diplomatic strategy to compliment the military operations, many of the IDF’s achievements on the ground have been short-lived, the Israeli official told The Times of Israel. |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 4:31:16 PM EDT
[#48]
Troops operating in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood located a cache of weapons at a health clinic, the military says. The IDF says dozens of gunmen have been killed and many weapons have been captured amid the ongoing raid in Zeitoun. In Rafah, troops killed several more Hamas gunmen in the eastern part of the city, as well as located several tunnels, the IDF says. Also over the past day, the military says airstrikes were carried out against dozens of sites belonging to terror groups, including rocket launchers, observation posts, and other infrastructure.  Attached File
UPDATE: Israeli strikes reported in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya after IDF evacuation order Palestinian media outlets are reporting a series of Israeli strikes in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya. This morning, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for the area, ahead of a planned operation against Hamas.
Israeli fighter jets struck a building used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's al-Amra a short while ago, the military says. The IDF also confirms that two explosive-laden drones struck an area near Beit Hillel. No injuries were caused in the attack, which Hezbollah claimed for. Last night, two more drones launched by Hezbollah at Israel were intercepted by air defenses, the IDF adds.
This man and the other four were killed during an operation to clear a school complex, almost certainly one of the UNRWA buildings. The IDF announces the death of a soldier killed during fighting in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood on Friday. He is named as Staff Sgt. Ariel Tsym, 20, of the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion, from Modiin. Tsym was killed during a gun battle with Hamas operatives in Zeitoun, according to an initial IDF probe. The incident took place not long after four troops were killed by an explosive device in the same area. His death brings the toll of slain troops in the IDF's ground offensive in Gaza and amid operations on the border to 272.
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative who participated in the October 7 onslaught was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza City neighborhood of Zeitoun, the military says. It publishes footage of the strike. Troops of the 99th Division launched the pinpoint raid in Zeitoun in recent days after the IDF identified Hamas regrouping there. So far, soldiers have killed numerous gunmen destroyed sites belonging to terror groups, and captured weapons, the IDF says. |
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Posted: 5/11/2024 4:45:44 PM EDT
[#49]
Kill Hamas. Kill ALL Hamas.
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Posted: 5/11/2024 10:30:28 PM EDT
[#50]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 11 May Key Takeaways Gaza Strip Palestinian militias defended against Israeli clearing operations in Zaytoun, southern Gaza City, on May 11. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a re-clearing operation into the neighborhood on May 8, marking the third time that the IDF has conducted a clearing operation there. Palestinian fighters attacked Israeli forces with small arms, improvised explosive devices, and mortar fire. The IDF Nahal Brigade located a large quantity of weapons, including some stored in a medical clinic. The IDF issued evacuation orders for civilians in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 11. The IDF disseminated the orders with leaflets, text messages, phone calls, and via Arabic-language media broadcasts. Around 100,000-150,000 people live in the designated evacuation area. The IDF said that it would operate in the evacuation area as a reaction to Hamas’ efforts to “rebuild its capabilities” there. The Air Force conducted airstrikes in Jabalia. Israeli forces first advanced to the Jabalia refugee camp area in December 2023 and withdrew later that month. CTP-ISW believes Hamas cells have probably established a rear area in Jabalia and/or northern Shujaiaya. Hamas remains determined to reassert its governing authority and reconstitute itself militarily in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has the space and personnel to do so in the northern Gaza Strip since Israeli forces withdrew. The resilience of Hamas and other Palestinian militias across the Gaza Strip supports CTP-ISW's assessment that Hamas will likely survive an IDF clearing operation into Rafah. The IDF continued its limited operation into eastern Rafah on May 11. The IDF 401st Brigade, which seized the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on May 7, destroyed a Hamas rocket launch site. Israeli ground and air elements also destroyed Hamas tunnel shafts. The IDF Givati Brigade continued operations in eastern Rafah. Hamas fighters fired an anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at an Israeli armored personnel carrier near the Rafah crossing. The IDF issued expanded its evacuation orders for civilians around Rafah on May 11, extending the evacuation zone to two refugee camps and nearby neighborhoods. The IDF frequently issues evacuation orders ahead of expanding military operations. The IDF reported that an estimated 300,000 Gazans have already moved to the humanitarian zone north of Rafah since the beginning of evacuations began. Local Palestinians told the Wall Street Journal that space in the humanitarian zone north of Rafah has “filled up”. Hamas claimed that a British-Israeli hostage died of wounds he sustained from an Israeli airstrike last month in the Gaza Strip. Hamas took Nadav Popplewell hostage on October 7 from Nirim in southern Israel. Palestinian fighters conducted at least two indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on May 11. The IDF reported that it intercepted one projectile and that three others fell in open areas. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) claimed responsibility for two indirect fire attacks targeting Kerem Shalom. Palestinian militias have conducted near daily indirect fire attacks targeting the Kerem Shalom, which is the main entry point for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. West Bank TP-ISW did not record any engagements between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Lebanese Hezbollah conducted six attacks from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed one attack targeting Israel.   
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