User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 6/5/2024 2:14:23 PM EDT
[#1]
Judgi8ng by what I've been hearing, I think Israel has had just about enough, foreign assistance be damned.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/5/2024 4:52:48 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66:
Now do all the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza. Jay |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/5/2024 6:35:41 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#3]
The military says it has established "operational control" over the east Bureij and east Deir al-Balah areas in the central Gaza Strip today, after launching a new operation in the area yesterday. Troops of the 7th Armored Brigade and Kfir Infantry Brigade killed several gunmen in battles and by calling in airstrikes, and also located tunnel shafts, the IDF says. Hours into the operation, the IDF says troops located a mortar launcher hidden in a small structure with a United Nations logo on it.  Attached File
The IDF reveals a "significant" Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza's Rafah, adjacent to the border crossing with Egypt, used by the terror group to smuggle weapons into the Strip. According to the IDF, troops located several tunnel shafts in the area, which led to the 2-kilometer-long underground route with several paths. Inside the tunnel, troops found several weapons, explosives, and a large amount of intelligence materials, the military says. Some parts of the tunnel were blocked by blast doors. Combat engineers later demolished the tunnel. Along the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, adjacent to the southern city of Rafah, the IDF has located so far some 20 tunnels that cross into Egypt. Another 82 tunnel shafts leading into the tunnels have been located in the corridor area. Hamas has been known to use such tunnels to smuggle weapons into Gaza, despite attempts by Egypt to thwart them in the past decade. A "high-level" source speaking to Egyptian state media last week denied such tunnels still exist. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/5/2024 9:30:45 PM EDT
[#4]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/5/2024 9:58:51 PM EDT
[#5]
|
|
|
|
ESP
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 2:57:21 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By PolarBear416: The Rafah tunnels beg the question why they didn't take Rafah before Khan Younis, trapping the remaining Hamas central Gaza I bet Sinwar is already out of Gaza I suppose that Hamas was precisely waiting for them in Rafah Maybe because of the surprise factor they preferred to go to Khan Younis before Rafah |
|
|
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 9:29:26 AM EDT
[#7]
  Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 5 June Key Takeaways Gaza Strip An IDF lieutenant colonel highlighted Palestinian militias’ use of “guerilla-style” tactics in the Gaza Strip, in which Palestinian militias allow IDF units to enter their target areas before Palestinian militias engage the IDF troops. Israeli Forces (IDF) continued operations along the Netzarim Corridor.he IDF. Seven Palestinian militias launched rocket and mortars targeting Israeli forces and an IDF site along the Netzarim Corridor, demonstrating militias remain active in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF continued clearing operations in Rafah. Israeli forces located and destroyed a 2km-long tunnel that ran along the Philadelphi Corridor and connected to several other tunnel branches. The IDF seized various weapons, including an explosively formed penetrator (EFP), from the tunnel. A Palestinian journalist reported that Israeli forces advanced into western Rafah’s ”Saudi neighborhood.” Three Palestinian militias claimed attacks targeting Israeli forces in central and eastern Rafah. The IDF announced on June 5 that it will increase the maximum active reservists by 50,000 soldiers to 350,000. The IDF established a new rapid-response unit to respond to “terrorist incidents” in the Gaza Envelope. The new unit, LOTAR Otef, reports to the IDF 143rd Gaza Division. The unit will be comprised of reservists and veterans of elite IDF units from the areas surrounding the Gaza Strip. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades conducted a combined rocket attack targeting an IDF site east of Deir al Balah. West Bank Israeli forces have engaged Palestinian fighters in at least six locations in the West Bank. Hamas, PIJ, and al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fighters engaged IDF forces operating in Jenin. The IDF and Shin Bet detained 18 wanted men throughout the West Bank during overnight raids. Israeli forces conducted a “large-scale operation” in Beit Ummar, northwest of Hebron, to detain “illegal immigrants” and suspects carrying out "sabotage activities.” The IDF also seized small arms, IEDs, and “incendiary materials” belonging to Hamas. The IDF and Israeli Border Police killed a wanted al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades fighter in Balata refugee camp, Nablus. Southern Lebanon Iranian-backed militias, including Lebanese Hezbollah, have conducted at least 13 attacks into northern Israel in the last 24 hours, including a drone attack that wounded seven Israeli civilians in Hurfeish. Lebanon Israeli officials are continuing to talk about an offensive into Lebanon amid an increase in Hezbollah drone attacks targeting northern Israel. Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami threatened to retaliate against Israel for the June 3 airstrike that killed IRGC Quds Force Gen. Saeid Abyar in Aleppo, Syria.. Abyar was a member of the IRGC Quds Force and had been stationed in Syria since 2012. Salami stated that Israel must “wait” for Iran’s response during the funeral ceremony for Saeid Abyar. The IRGC uses Syria as a regional hub for coordination among the larger Axis of Resistance.. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria targeting weapons transfer lines through Syria to Iranian-backed fighters or proxy groups since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. The June 3 airstrike in Aleppo represented the first Israeli attack on Iranian targets abroad since Salami threatened Israel with Iran‘s “new equation.“. Syria A Syrian Arab Army (SAA)-affiliated source reported on June 4 that the Syrian Defense Laboratories Corporation manufactured rockets that Lebanese Hezbollah has used to conduct attacks against Israeli positions in northern Israel. This statement is consistent with Israel’s air campaign to disrupt the transfer of Iranian military materiel to its partners and proxies in the Levant, especially Hezbollah, by targeting Syrian weapons production facilities. Yemen CENTCOM said on June 4 that the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled Yemen into the Red Sea. Iranian Presidential Elections Former IRGC Commander Mohsen Rezaei appears to be trying to promote an electoral consensus among hardliners ahead of the June 28 Iranian presidential election. Post-War Palestine Hamas is continuing to discuss its desired political end state for the war, in which a Hamas-influenced government that includes Fatah governs the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Islamic State A possible Islamic State gunman attacked the US embassy in Beirut on June 5 before being wounded by the Lebanese army in a shootout and arrested. No Americans were killed or injured.  
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 9:46:59 AM EDT
[#8]
Militants attempted a raid into Israel from Gaza. Details in tweets below. Surprised it didn't happen before, but doing it now with all the internal turmoil, international pressure, and a change in Hezbollah is a psychological tool for the militants.
The attempted infiltration on the Gaza border began this morning at around 4:00 a.m., when soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras spotted suspicious movement amid foggy weather, according to an initial IDF probe. Troops of the Desert Reconnaissance Battalion were then dispatched to the scene, in Gaza, just across from the Israeli border communities of Kerem Shalom and Holit, to search for the suspects. At around 5:00 a.m., the soldiers came under fire by the cell, around 400 meters from the Israeli border. Moments later, two of the gunmen were killed in a drone strike, and a short time after that, a third was killed by tank shelling. The cell was armed with assault rifles and RPGs. A possible fourth gunman fled the area, though the IDF was still investigating this. The IDF was also investigating how the gunmen reached the border area, where they were then detected.
The IDF announces the death of a soldier killed during a gun battle with Hamas operatives who attempted to infiltrate into Israel from southern Gaza's Rafah early this morning. The slain soldier is named as Warrant Officer Zeed Mazarib, 34, from Zarzir, a tracker in the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attempt, during which the IDF said it killed three armed terror operatives.
Israeli fighter jets and other aircraft struck dozens of targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says. The targets included weapon depots, buildings used by terror groups, tunnel shafts, and other infrastructure. One drone strike hit a position from which rockets were launched at Israel previously, and another targeted a launcher and a terror cell that fired mortars at the border community of Kissufim, the IDF says. The strikes come as troops continue to operate in the east Bureij and east Deir al-Balah areas in central Gaza, in Rafah in the Strip's south, and in the Netzarim Corridor. In Bureij and Deir al-Balah, the IDF says troops located several tunnel shafts and weapons, and killed several members of Hamas's rocket unit with tank shelling. In Rafah, several more tunnel shafts were located, along with caches of weapons, the military adds.
Overnight, the IDF said it carried out an airstrike against a Hamas compound based out of a United Nations school in central Gaza's Nuseirat, killing terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught. Hamas authorities claim at least 27 people were killed in the strike. Ahead of the strike, the IDF says it carried out "many steps" to prevent harm to civilians. According to the IDF, members of Hamas's elite Nukhba force and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives who were involved in the massacre on October 7 were gathered at the compound when it was hit. It says the terror operatives used the school building to plan and advance attacks against Israeli troops "in the immediate time frame."  Attached File |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 2:12:45 PM EDT
[#9]
The IDF releases footage showing an airstrike this morning against a Hamas cell attempting to infiltrate into Israel this morning from the southern Gaza Strip. Two terrorists were killed in the drone strike, while a third was killed by tank shelling. A fourth Hamas operative fled back toward the Rafah area.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 7:02:44 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#10]
 Attached File
They should sail it to Lebanon and get a second estimate, labor costs are lower. Senior U.S. Defense Officials have assessed that the Army’s JLOTS Temporary-Floating Pier for Humanitarian Aid off the Coast of the Gaza Strip, which is reported to have Costed between $230 and $320 Million, will require at least $22 Million in Repairs before it is Returned to Active Service.
This is the aerial photo the @IDF released this morning following a strike on terrorists using an @UNRWA school in #Nusierat. We know: What 3 rooms the #Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were using. We assess that: 20-30 terrorists were in the compound at the time of the strike. We targeted: Precision strikes on the specific classrooms. What were the terrorists doing in a @UN school: The compound was used for staging attacks and as a forward operating base. How we planned the strike: Based on the intelligence, precision munitions, surveillance and intelligence. Precautions we took: We called off the strikes twice to be are precise as possible ensure limited civilian casualties. We will announce the terrorists targeted as soon as possible.  Attached File
Also what's funny is there Ankara "reconcile" pieces are always the same for the last decade. They never run them in Turkish newspaper demanding Ankara "reconcile"...it's just messaging for the US...Ankara never has to change... And reconciliation is always a scam...look at how it "reconciled" with Israel and then backs Hamas and October 7. Ankara doesn't want to reconcile...it pursues the same aggressive extremist policies year after year... |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 8:39:07 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BM1455:
Maybe you shouldn’t traffic arms through proxies … |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 9:31:15 PM EDT
[#12]
  Institute for the Study Backgrounder 6 June Key Takeaways Status of armed resistance in Gaza Reuters published a report that Hamas has lost half of its forces and is currently using insurgent tactics. US officials familiar with battlefield developments said that Hamas’ numbers have decreased from an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 before the conflict to between 9,000 and 12,000 fighters at present. US and Israeli intelligence estimate that Hamas had as many as 30,000 to 40,000 fighters prior to the war. An IDF spokesperson acknowledged that destroying Hamas as a governing authority is “an achievable and attainable military objective,” instead of attempting to kill every Hamas fighter. Israeli officials have previously said that Israel’s war objectives are to destroy Hamas as a military organization and governing authority. One official said that Hamas is avoiding direct battles with Israeli forces, preferring to use ambushes the IDF and improvised explosive devices. A Gazan resident noted that Hamas previously immediately engaged Israeli forces as they advanced, but now Hamas is waiting for the IDF to enter the target area before attacking. Hamas fighters have previously employed similar tactics. US officials estimate that Hamas can sustain such tactics “for months,” given Hamas’ ability to access weapons smuggled into the Strip via tunnels as well as additional weapons and ordinance captured from the IDF. Gaza Strip Hamas attempted to infiltrate Israel using a tunnel 200 meters from the Israel-Gaza Strip border in Rafah. Four Palestinian fighters armed with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) emerged from the tunnel under the cover of a thick fog. Israeli forces engaged the Palestinian fighters in a fire fight with a drone and tank supporting the IDF Bedouin trackers. The IDF killed three of the four Palestinian fighters 400 meters from the Israeli border in the Gaza Strip. The fourth Hamas fighter fled into Rafah. One Israeli soldier died during the incident. Air Force struck a Hamas compound within a UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) school in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip. The IDF identified 20 to 30 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters in the compound who had directed attacks on Israeli forces. The compound also served as a civilian shelter for approximately 6,000 people. 98th Division continued re-clearing operations in eastern Bureij and eastern Deir al Balah, locating tunnel shafts and engaged Palestinian fighters with tank fire and airstrikes. Palestinian militias targeted Israeli forces in eastern Bureij and eastern Deir al Balah using mortars and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). The IDF Air Force struck a Palestinian cell that fired rockets at Kissufim from the central Gaza Strip. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. 162nd Division continued clearing operations in Rafah. Hamas fighters detonated an explosively rigged tunnel in western Rafah. US and Israeli officials told Reuters that there are about 7,000 to 8,000 Hamas fighters sheltering in Rafah, including top Hamas leaders. 828th Bislamach Brigade completed its mission in Rafah and withdrew on June 6. The brigade initially entered Rafah on May 28. There are five IDF brigades currently operating in Rafah. Palestinian militias did not conduct any indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel on June 6. West Bank Palestinian fighters are likely maintaining at least one vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) manufacturing cell northeast of Tubas. Palestinian militias in Tubas may be collaborating to assemble and deploy these VBIEDs, given the significant amount of resources and expertise required to manufacture a VBIED. The IDF conducted an overnight “counterterrorism” operation in the West Bank on June 5, detaining 11 Palestinians affiliated with Hamas. Palestinian fighters engaged Israeli forces in Jenin wiith small arms and IEDs. An IDF helicopter opened fire on Palestinians in Jenin and injuring eight people. The Shin Bet and IDF assess that the current poor economic conditions may lead West Bank residents to join Palestinian militias at a time when Iran is smuggling funds into the West Bank to support Palestinian resistance efforts. The document warns that a third intifada could break out in the West Bank, transforming the West Bank from a “secondary arena” to a “central arena” for Israeli war efforts. Southern Israel and Golan Heights Iranian-backed militias, including Lebanese Hezbollah, conducted at least eight attacks into northern Israel in the last 24 hours. US and Israeli officials told Axios that the Biden administration cautioned that an Israeli offensive in Lebanon could push Iran to intervene and widen the conflict. A senior IDF source told Axios that the situation on the Israel-Lebanon border has been escalating since May due to an increase in Hezbollah drone attacks, Yemen The Houthis claimed on June 6 that they conducted a combined operation targeting Israel with Iranian-backed Iraqi militias as part of their effort to impose an unofficial blockade. This blockade is unlikely to be successful, given that the Houthis have so far been unable to successfully attack Israeli shipping in the Mediterranean at a sufficient rate to impact imports or exports from Mediterranean ports. The Houthis claimed on June 5 that it conducted drone and missile attacks targeting three ships in the Red and Arabian Seas. The Houthis released a video on June 5 that shows the Houthis firing a likely Iranian-supplied missile that it used to target Eilat, southern Israel, on June 3. The Houthis said that its Palestine missile is “locally made,” but the missile bears visual similarities to the Iranian Kheiber Shekan ballistic missile. Iran originally unveiled the Khiber Shekan in February 2022. Associated Press reports that the Palestine missile uses solid fuel as opposed to liquid fuel. Iranian Presidential Elections Iranian hardline officials are continuing to try to promote an electoral consensus among hardliners ahead of the June 28 presidential election as part of an effort to avoid infighting between hardliners that could provide an opening for a moderate victory. Ceasefire Negotiations Hamas reportedly said that it will reject the Israeli ceasefire proposal, arguing that the proposal does not ensure a permanent end to hostilities. Hamas will continue to reject proposals until it secures a “permanent ceasefire.” Hamas does not acknowledge the legitimacy of any permanent ceasefire and has repeatedly said that any ceasefire is temporary until Hamas destroys Israel. Iraq Iranian-backed Iraqi militias reportedly set a 40-day deadline for the Iraqi prime minister to expel US forces from Iraq.°   
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/6/2024 10:01:17 PM EDT
[#13]
June 6 Red Sea Update In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed eight Houthi uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Red Sea. Additionally, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed two Houthi uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea. Separately, a coalition ship successfully engaged one UAS launched from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen over the Red Sea. Also, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships. |
|
|
|
ESP
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 4:21:36 AM EDT
[#14]
Two Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon's Zibqin and Ayta ash-Shab were struck by fighter jets overnight:
The IDF reveals a "significant" Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza's Rafah, adjacent to the border crossing with Egypt, used by the terror group to smuggle weapons into the Strip. Israeli fighter jets struck a series of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon: Israeli located a number of significant shafts that led to a long tunnel route that reached as far as the Philadelphia axis. The length of the route is about 2 kilometers and it connects to several other routes in the area. Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah weapons depot in southern Lebanon's Wadi Jilou, as well as two more sites belonging to the terror group near Aadchit: |
|
|
ESP
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 8:18:29 AM EDT
[#15]
Two Hezbollah terrorists were struck in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon's Aitaroun:
IDF Spox. on Hamas Terrorists Operating Inside a U.N. School: The IDF releases footage showing an airstrike this morning against a Hamas cell attempting to infiltrate into Israel: Soldiers of the Givat patrol identified, using a drone, a trapped house in the Rafah area and located inside it a stockpile of dozens of mortar bombs. Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck buildings used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Jabal Rezlane, and in the towns of Ramyeh and Kafr Kila: |
|
|
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 9:03:57 AM EDT
[#16]
The London-based Qatar-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed outlet, quoting one of its correspondents, says the Israeli military had reached the coast of Rafah, completing its control over the Philadelphi Corridor. The IDF announced last week that it had established “operational control” over the entire route along the Gaza-Egypt border. It said at the time that troops were physically located in most of the corridor, and that there was a small section near the coast where ground forces were not present, but it was controlling the area with surveillance and firepower.
The IDF says it has killed dozens of terror operatives amid an ongoing operation in east Buriej and east Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The operation began earlier this week, and is being carried out by the 98th Division. Troops located tunnel shafts and demolished infrastructure used by terror groups in the area, the IDF says. The head of a Hamas rocket-launching cell was also killed in an airstrike in the central Gaza area, the IDF adds. The IDF also continues its offensive in southern Gaza's Rafah, where it says troops of the 162nd Division located additional tunnel shafts and weapons over the past day. The military also continues to operate in the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, with the Paratroopers Brigade being deployed to the area, joining the 99th Division.
Destroyed because Hamas festooned it with weapons and tunneled under it. Once again...note Hamas is never mentioned. All the international community had to do was tell Hamas it couldn't go into civilian areas and take them over and put weapons in homes and tunnel under these poor civilians. It was easy. But instead...Hamas was allowed to hijack all of Gaza and illegally take over areas like Beit Hanoun. Officials say Yemen's Houthis detain at least 9 UN staffers and others in sudden crackdown At least nine Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies have been detained by Yemen's Houthis under unclear circumstances, authorities said Friday, as the Houthis face increasing financial pressure and airstrikes from a U.S.-led coalition. Others working for aid groups also likely have been taken. Regional officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief journalists, confirmed the U.N. detentions. Those held include staff from the United Nations human rights agency, its development program, the World Food Program and one working for the office of its special envoy, the officials said. The wife of one of those held is also detained. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 9:51:44 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#17]
Reuters: Depleted Hamas switches to insurgent tactics in Gaza, posing steep challenge Link here and entire article posted below
The best line in the article--Lerner, an DF spokesperson, agreed Israel faced a protracted battle to overcome Hamas, "There is no quick fix after 17 years of them building their capabilities". Highpoints Hamas has seen about half its forces wiped out and is relying on hit-and-run insurgent tactics in engagements with Israeli forces, US and Israeli officials told Reuters. Hamas...has been reduced to between 9,000 and 12,000 fighters, according to US officials, down from estimates of 20,000-25,000 before the conflict. By contrast, Israel says it has lost almost 300 troops in the Gaza campaign. (How many have been killed is interesting--who has been killed is important. How many trained Nukhba shooters have been killed is critical. If many of them are alive, Hamas can quickly regenerate.) Hamas..largely avoids sustained skirmishes with Israeli forces in Rafah, instead relying on ambushes and improvised bombs to hit targets often behind enemy lines, one of the officials said. Such tactics could sustain a Hamas insurgency for months to come, aided by weapons smuggled into Gaza via tunnels and others repurposed from unexploded ordnance or captured from Israeli forces. There are about 7,000-8,000 Hamas fighters reportedly entrenched in Rafah ..the group’s fighters are videotaping their ambushes of Israeli troops, before editing and posting them on Telegram and other social media apps. A Hamas spokesperson didn’t respond to requests for comment on its battlefield strategy.  . Sinwar thinks we're stupid, this question gives him another data point that confirms that).Sources..said the IDF could face similar threats to those encountered by America in the city of Fallujah in 2004-2006 following the US-led invasion of Iraq. Lerner, an DF spokesperson, agreed Israel faced a protracted battle to overcome Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since seizing the territory in 2007 from the Palestinian Authority in a bloody coup. Entire Reuters article below Depleted Hamas switches to insurgent tactics in Gaza, posing steep challenge 6 Jun 2024 WASHINGTON — Hamas has seen about half its forces wiped out in eight months of war and is relying on hit-and-run insurgent tactics to frustrate Israel’s attempts to take control of Gaza, US and Israeli officials told Reuters. Hamas, the enclave’s ruling group, has been reduced to between 9,000 and 12,000 fighters, according to three senior US officials familiar with battlefield developments, down from American estimates of 20,000-25,000 before the conflict. By contrast, Israel says it has lost almost 300 troops in the Gaza campaign. Hamas fighters are now largely avoiding sustained skirmishes with Israeli forces closing in on the southernmost city of Rafah, instead relying on ambushes and improvised bombs to hit targets often behind enemy lines, one of the officials said. Several Gaza residents, including Wissam Ibrahim, said they too had observed a shift in tactics. “In earlier months, Hamas fighters would intercept, engage, and fire at Israeli troops as soon as they pushed into their territory,” Ibrahim told Reuters by phone. “But now, there is a notable shift in their mode of operations. They wait for [the IDF] to deploy and then they start their ambushes and attacks.” The US officials, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said such tactics could sustain a Hamas insurgency for months to come, aided by weapons smuggled into Gaza via tunnels and others repurposed from unexploded ordnance or captured from Israeli forces. This kind of protracted timeframe is echoed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser who said last week the war could last until the end of 2024 at least. A Hamas spokesperson didn’t respond to requests for comment on its battlefield strategy. In a parallel propaganda drive, some of the group’s fighters are videotaping their ambushes of Israeli troops, before editing and posting them on Telegram and other social media apps. Lt. Col. (res.) Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, told Reuters they were still some way from destroying Hamas, which he also said had lost roughly half of its fighting force. Lerner said the military was adapting to the group’s shift in tactics and acknowledged Israel couldn’t eliminate every Hamas fighter or destroy every Hamas tunnel. “There is never a goal to kill each and every last terrorist on the ground. That’s not a realistic goal,” he said. “Destroying Hamas as a governing authority is an achievable and attainable military objective,” he added. Hamas leaders Sinwar and Deif Netanyahu and his government are under pressure from Washington to agree to a ceasefire plan to end the war, which began on October 7 when Hamas led 3,000 terrorists to storm into southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says at least 36,586 Palestinians have been killed and 83,074 injured. The figures cannot be verified and only some 24,000 fatalities have been identified at hospitals. Hamas does not distinguish between deaths of combatants and unarmed civilians, or between those killed by Israel and those killed by errant Palestinian rockets. The tolls include some 15,000 terror operatives Israel says it has killed in battle. Israel also says it killed some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7. There are about 7,000-8,000 Hamas fighters reportedly entrenched in Rafah, the last significant bastion of the group’s resistance, according to Israeli and US officials. Top leaders Yahya Sinwar, his brother Mohammed, and Sinwar’s second-in-command Mohammed Deif are still alive and believed to be hiding in tunnels with Israeli hostages, they said. The Palestinian group has shown the ability to withdraw rapidly after attacks, take cover, regroup, and pop up again in areas that Israel had believed to be cleared of Hamas operatives, a US administration official said. Lerner, the IDF spokesperson, agreed Israel faced a protracted battle to overcome Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since seizing the territory in 2007 from the Palestinian Authority in a bloody coup. “There is no quick fix after 17 years of them building their capabilities,” he said. Hamas has constructed a 500-kilometer (310-mile) subterranean city of tunnels over the years. The labyrinth, dubbed the Gaza metro by the Israeli military, is roughly half the length of the New York subway system. Equipped with water, power, and ventilation, it shelters Hamas leaders, command and control centers, and weapons and ammunition stores. The Israeli military said last week that it had taken control of the entire Gaza-Egypt land border to prevent weapons smuggling. About 20 tunnels used by Hamas to carry arms into Gaza were found within the zone, it added. Egypt’s State Information Service didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Israel’s claims of arms smuggling from the country. Egyptian officials have previously denied any such clandestine trade is taking place, saying they destroyed the tunnel networks leading to Gaza years ago. Echoes of Fallujah insurgency The Gaza incursion is Israel’s longest and fiercest conflict since it invaded Lebanon to oust the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1982. Netanyahu has defied domestic and international calls to outline a postwar plan for the territory. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that the absence of such a roadmap could trigger lawlessness in the enclave. War cabinet minister Benny Gantz has given Netanyahu until the end of the week to lay out such a plan or he will pull his National Unity party out of the government. One Arab official told Reuters that criminal gangs had already emerged in Gaza amid the power vacuum, seizing food deliveries and conducting armed robberies. The official and two other Arab government sources, who all requested anonymity to speak freely, said the IDF could face similar threats to those encountered by America in the city of Fallujah in 2004-2006 following the US-led invasion of Iraq. A broad insurgency in Fallujah swelled the ranks first of al-Qaeda and then Islamic State, miring Iraq in conflict and chaos from which it has yet to fully emerge two decades later. Washington and its Arab allies have said they are working on a post-conflict plan for Gaza that involves a time-bound, irreversible path to Palestinian statehood. When the plan, part of a “grand bargain” envisioned by the United States that aims to secure a normalizing of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, is complete, Washington aims to put it to Israel, the US officials said. A United Arab Emirates official with direct knowledge of the discussions said a Palestinian invitation was needed for countries to assist Gaza in an emergency operation, as well as an end to hostilities, full Israeli disengagement, and clarity on Gaza’s legal status, including control of borders. The emergency process could last a year and be potentially renewable for another year, according to the UAE official who said the aim was to stabilize the enclave rather than rebuild it. For reconstruction to begin, a more detailed roadmap towards a two-state solution was needed, he added, as well as serious and credible reform of the Palestinian Authority. How the United States aims to overcome Netanyahu’s repeated rejection of a two-state solution, which Riyadh says is a condition for normalizing ties, is unclear. David Schenker, a former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, dismissed any suggestion of a clean IDF pullout from the Palestinian territory. “Israel says it’s going to maintain security control, which means that it’s going to constantly fly drones over Gaza. And they’re not going to be limited if they see Hamas re-emerging, they’re going to go back,” said Schenker, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute US-based think-tank. Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief serving as an observer in Netanyahu’s war cabinet, has proposed an Egyptian-led international coalition as an alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza. Eisenkot, a member of Gantz’s National Unity party, has lost a son and nephew in the Gaza war. In a closed-door briefing last week to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, he emphasized the complex nature of anti-militancy warfare. “This is a religious, nationalistic, social, and military struggle with no knockout blow but rather protracted warfare that will last many years,” he said. Longish article from the AP Gaza casualty figures in quote box below and here. Analysis finds flaws in Hamas data, drop in rate of Gazan women, children killed The proportion of Palestinian women and children being killed in the Israel-Hamas war appears to have declined sharply, an Associated Press analysis of Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry data, which cannot be verified, has found. This trend coincides both with Israel’s changing battlefield tactics and contradicts the Hamas-run ministry’s own public statements. The trend is significant because the death rate for women and children is the best available proxy for civilian casualties in the conflict. In October, when the war began following Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, it was above 60 percent. In April, it was below 40%. Yet the shift went unnoticed for months by the United Nations and much of the media, and the Gazan health ministry has made no effort to set the record straight. Israel faces heavy international criticism over the level of reported civilian casualties in Gaza and questions about whether it has done enough to prevent them in an eight-month-long war that shows no sign of ending. Jerusalem vehemently denies the charges, saying it is taking unprecedented measures to reduce civilian casualties, and that the combatant-to-civilian ratio is relatively low even according to the unverified figures issued by Hamas-run authorities. The figures make no distinction between civilians and combatants, and include Gazans killed by hundreds of misfired Palestinian rockets that landed inside the Strip. The AP analysis highlights facts that have been overlooked and could help inform the public debate, said Gabriel Epstein, a research assistant at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has also studied the Health Ministry data. The declining impact on women and children — as well as a drop in the overall death rate — are “definitely due to a change in the way the IDF is acting right now,” Epstein said, using an acronym for the Israel Defense Forces. “That’s an easy conclusion, but I don’t think it’s been made enough.” As the war evolves, a shift occurs When Israel first responded to Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern communities — in which terrorists murdered some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages to Gaza — it launched an intense aerial bombardment on the densely populated Gaza Strip. Israel said its goal was to destroy Hamas positions, and the barrage cleared the way for tens of thousands of ground troops, backed by tanks and artillery, to enter the Strip with the aim of toppling the terror group, which openly seeks Israel’s destruction and has vowed to repeat its onslaught again and again if allowed to. The reported Gaza death toll rose quickly and by the end of October, women and people 17 and younger accounted for 64% of the 6,745 killed who were fully identified by Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. After moving across most of Gaza and saying it had achieved many key objectives, Israel then began withdrawing most of its ground forces. It reduced the frequency of aerial bombings and has focused in recent months on smaller drone strikes and limited ground operations. As the intensity of fighting has scaled back, the death toll has continued to rise, but at a slower rate – and with seemingly fewer civilians caught in the crossfire. In April, women and children made up 38% of the newly and fully identified deaths, the health ministry’s most recent data shows. “Historically, airstrikes  a higher ratio of women and children compared to ground operations,” said Larry Lewis, an expert on the civilian impacts of war at CNA, a nonprofit research group in Washington. The findings of the AP analysis “make sense,” he said.Another sign that Israel softened its bombing campaign: Beginning in January, there was a sharp slowdown in “new damage” to buildings in Gaza, according to Corey Scher, a satellite mapping expert at City University of New York who has monitored buildings damaged or destroyed since the war began. The fate of women and children is an important indicator of civilian casualties because the health ministry does not break out combatant deaths. But it’s not a perfect indicator: Many civilian men have died, and many older teenagers may be involved in the fighting. Daily death tolls at odds with underlying data The health ministry announces a new death toll for the war nearly every day. It also has periodically released the underlying data behind this figure, including detailed lists of the dead. The AP’s analysis looked at these lists, which were shared on social media in late October, early January, late March, and the end of April. Each list includes the names of people whose deaths were attributable to the war, along with other identifying details. The daily death tolls, however, are provided without supporting data. In February, ministry officials said 75% of the dead were women and children – a level that was never confirmed in the detailed reports. And as recently as March, the ministry’s daily reports claimed that 72% of the dead were women and children, even as underlying data clearly showed the percentage was well below that. Israeli leaders have pointed to such inconsistencies as evidence that the ministry, which is led by medical professionals but reports to Gaza’s Hamas government, is inflating the figures for political gain. Some experts contend that the reality is more complicated, given the scale of devastation that has overwhelmed and badly damaged Gaza’s hospital system. Lewis said while the “beleaguered” health ministry has come under heavy scrutiny, Israel has yet to provide credible alternative data. He called on Israel to “put out your numbers.” High civilian death toll is a liability for Israel The true toll in Gaza could have serious repercussions. Two international courts in the Hague are examining accusations that Israel has committed war crimes and “genocide” against Palestinians – allegations it adamantly denies. Israel has opened a new phase of the war in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where an estimated 100,000 civilians remain even after mass evacuations, aimed at rooting out remaining Hamas battalions that are hiding there. How Israel mitigates civilian deaths there will be closely watched. Israel says it has tried to avoid civilian casualties throughout the war, including by issuing mass evacuation orders ahead of intense military operations that have displaced some 80% of Gaza’s population. It has provided evidence of Hamas intentionally and systematically putting civilians in harm’s way as human shields. Parsing Gaza health ministry data The ministry said publicly on April 30 that 34,622 had died in the war. The AP analysis was based on the 22,961 individuals fully identified at the time by the health ministry with names, genders, ages and Israeli-issued identification numbers. The ministry says 9,940 of the dead – 29% of its April 30 total – were not listed in the data because they remain “unidentified.” These include bodies not claimed by families, decomposed beyond recognition, or whose records were lost in Israeli raids on hospitals that targeted gunmen from Hamas and other terror groups using the facilities for military operations. An additional 1,699 records in the ministry’s April data were incomplete and 22 were duplicates; they were excluded from AP’s analysis. Among those fully identified, the records show a steady decline in the overall proportion of women and children who have been killed: from 64% in late October, to 62% as of early January, to 57% by the end of March, to 54% by the end of April. Yet throughout the war, the ministry has claimed that roughly two-thirds of the dead were women and children. This figure has been repeated by international organizations and many in the foreign media, including the AP. The health ministry says it has gone to great lengths to accurately compile information but that its ability to count and identify the dead has been greatly hampered by the war. The fighting has crippled the Gaza health system, knocking out two-thirds of the territory’s 36 hospitals, closing morgues, and hampering the work of facilities still functioning. Dr. Moatasem Salah, director of the ministry’s emergency center, rejected Israeli assertions that his ministry has intentionally inflated or manipulated the death toll. “This shows disrespect to the humanity for any person who exists here,” he said. “We are not numbers… These are all human souls.” He insisted that 70% of those killed have been women and children and claimed the overall death toll is much higher than what has been reported because thousands of people remain missing, are believed to be buried in rubble, or their deaths were not reported by their families. As death toll rises, the details are debated To be sure, this war’s death toll is the highest of any previous Israel-Palestinian conflict. But Israeli leaders charge that the international media and United Nations have cited Hamas figures without a critical eye. Israel last month angrily criticized the UN’s use of data from Hamas’s media office – a propaganda arm of the terror group – that reported a larger number of women and children killed. The UN later lowered its number in line with health ministry figures. Foreign Minister Israel Katz lashed out on the social platform X: “Anyone who relies on fake data from a terrorist organization in order to promote blood libels against Israel is antisemitic and supports terrorism.” AP’s examination of the reports found flaws in the Palestinian record keeping. As Gaza’s hospital system collapsed in December and January, the ministry began relying on hard-to-verify “media reports” to register new deaths. Its March report included 531 individuals who were counted twice, and many deaths were self-reported by families, instead of health officials. Epstein, the Washington Institute researcher, said using different data-collection methodologies and then combining all the numbers gives an inaccurate picture. “That’s probably the biggest problem,” he said, adding that he was surprised there hadn’t been more scrutiny. The number of Hamas gunmen killed in the fighting is also unclear. Hamas has closely guarded this information, though Khalil al-Hayya, a top Hamas official, told the AP in late April that the group had lost no more than 20% of its fighters. That would amount to roughly 6,000 fighters based on Israeli pre-war estimates. Michael Spagat, a London-based economics professor who chairs the board of Every Casualty Counts, a nonprofit that tracks armed conflicts, said he continues to trust the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry and believes it is doing its best in difficult circumstances. “I think [the data] becomes increasingly flawed,” he said. But, he added, “the flaws don’t necessarily change the overall picture.” The IDF has not challenged the overall death toll released by the Hamas-run ministry. But it says the number of dead gunmen is much higher at roughly 15,000 – or over 40% of all the dead. It has provided no public evidence to support the claim and declined to comment for this story. Shlomo Mofaz, director of the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, said such estimates are typically based on body counts, battlefield intelligence, and the interrogations of captured Hamas commanders. Mofaz, a former intelligence officer, said his researchers are skeptical of the Palestinian data. In previous conflicts, he said his researchers found numerous inconsistencies, such as including natural deaths from disease or car accidents among the war casualties. He expects that to be the case this time as well. The large number of unidentified dead raises further questions, he said. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 12:52:07 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#18]
Biden's craptastic pier is back. Link
The U.S. military has repaired a temporary pier for humanitarian relief and on Friday reattached it to the Gaza shore, more than a week after it broke apart in high seas, the military said. Army Corps Of Engineers workers completed the work on Friday morning, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters in a briefing call. The $230-million floating pier, which American officials have lauded as part of a solution to getting more aid into hunger-stricken Gaza, has been troubled by logistical and security issues. Not a minute too soon. The Houthis and Hezbollah are getting tired of shooting missiles and launching drones at the same old targets. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 1:06:15 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOf course it is, joe boy has got to take care of his hamass. The damncrats love their muzzies. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 4:42:55 PM EDT
[#20]
The Israeli military confirms that an explosive-laden drone launched from Lebanon earlier today struck an open area in the Jezreel Valley, near Nazareth. According to the IDF, there was a failed attempt to intercept the drone. Residents of the area reported seeing an Iron Dome missile launch. Sirens had sounded in the area amid the incident, amid fears of falling shrapnel. A second drone struck an area near Shomera, the military adds. No damage or injuries were caused in either drone strike. The update from the IDF comes nearly eight hours after the incident.
A senior member of Hamas's general security forces in southern Gaza's Rafah was killed in an airstrike yesterday, the military announces. Salame Muhammad Abu Ajaj, according to the IDF, was one of the commanders of the general security forces in Rafah. He was killed in a fighter jet strike, it says. The IDF says the general security forces is a Hamas body that supports the military wing of the terror group, and is tasked with several roles to "ensure the survival of the group, [continue] routine Hamas military activity, and disrupt the IDF's freedom of action in the Strip." Alongside Abu Ajaj, the mayor of Nuseirat, Eyad al-Maghari, was also killed in the strike. The IDF says al-Maghari was a terrorist with "an extensive history in Hamas." It says he previously served in Hamas's so-called West Bank headquarters, a unit involved in advancing attacks against Israel from or within the West Bank. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas following the October 7 onslaught, including its civil authority and members of its political wing.  Attached File
The IDF names nine Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives killed in the overnight strike in central Gaza's Nuseirat. According to the IDF, some 30 terror operatives were gathered in three classrooms at a UN school. Civilians were also sheltering at the site. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference says the military is working to identify the others terrorists who were killed in the attack. "Some of these terrorists participated in the massacre on October 7. We will pursue anyone who participated in October 7," he says  Attached File
The IDF says it has identified another eight Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives who were killed in Thursday's airstrike on a United Nations school in central Gaza's Nuseirat. According to the IDF, some 30 terror operatives were gathered in three classrooms at the UN school. Civilians were also sheltering in the compound, but not in the classrooms with the Hamas and PIJ members. Yesterday, the IDF named nine of the killed terror group members. In all, 17 have now been identified by the military.  Attached File
Earlier today a cell of Hamas operatives gathered at a United Nations school in Gaza City's Shati camp were killed in an airstrike, the military says. According to the IDF, the Hamas members were operating from inside a container within the ground of UNRWA's Asmaa school. The container was being used as a command room by the operatives and a meeting point for members of the terror group's internal security forces, the IDF says, The military says that the operatives killed in the strike were planning attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza in the "immediate time-frame." Prior to the strike, the IDF says it carried out "many steps to reduce the chance of harming civilians." The strike itself was carried out using "precision munitions," it says. The IDF says Hamas was taking advantage of the school for terror activity, and it "systematically, intentionally and strategically places its infrastructure and operates from within civilian areas, in complete violation of international law and while putting the lives of [Palestinian civilians] at risk."  Attached File
All these people were at an UNRWA school and instead of UNRWA doing what every other school in the world would do, telling them to leave and warning the children and parents that suspicious men were invading the school….UNRWA covers it up and never mentions to reports it. This is because UNRWA has covered for this for decades. It’s awful and it endangers civilians and is a basic violation of human rights to let extremists take over a school and not inform parents and tell the men to leave.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 8:21:07 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#21]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 7 June Key Takeaways Gaza Strip Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar indicated opposition to the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal. Hamas seems unlikely to accept a proposal that does not meet its maximalist demands. 99th Division destroyed Palestinian militia infrastructure and engaged Palestinian fighters along the Netzarim Corridor, south of Gaza City. 35th Paratroopers Brigade is now operating along the corridor. Palestinian militias mortared Israeli forces in the area. The Air Force struck a container in a UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) school in al Shati refugee camp. The container served as a “concentration point” for Hamas’ internal security forces. 98th Division continued re-clearing operations in eastern Bureij and eastern Deir al Balah. The Air Force cooperated with ground forces to kill the head of a Hamas squad overseeing rocket attacks. Hamas fighters fired a thermobaric rocket at Israeli forces in a house east of Deir al Balah. The al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades mortared Israeli forces in eastern Bureij and eastern Deir al Balah. The IDF advanced further along the Philadelphi Corridor, reaching the Gazan coast around Rafah. Local and regional sources reported there were Israeli forces along the coast. Controlling the Philadelphi Corridor will prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continued clearing operations in Rafah. Nahal Brigade located Palestinian militia tunnels and engaged Palestinian fighters under and above ground. The Air Force killed a senior member of Hamas’ general security forces. The IDF also killed the mayor of Nuseirat, who had a long history with Hamas, including involvement in its West Bank headquarters. Israel released additional information on Hamas’ attempted infiltration into Israel from Rafah on June 6. Hamas fighters used a tunnel that the IDF had identified during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. Hamas fighters went through an opening in the fence that Israeli forces had been using. CENTCOM reattached its temporary pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The United States suspended operations at the pier on May 27 due to damage sustained at sea. Palestinian militias conducted two indirect fire attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel on June 7. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in al Ain refugee camp in Nablus on June 7. Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian residents and set fire to Palestinian property in two villages in the West Bank. Israeli media reported that “extremists” clashed with Palestinian residents in Qusra, south of Nablus, throwing stones at Palestinian residents, setting fire to agricultural fields, and tried to burn down a house. Southern Lebanon and Golan Heights Hezbollah has conducted at least three attacks into northern Israel. Yemen CENTCOM destroyed two Houthi uncrewed surface vessels and eight Houthi drones in the Red Sea on June 6. One coalition vessel separately intercepted a Houthi drone over the Red Sea. CENTCOM reported that the Houthis also launched an anti-ship ballistic missile toward the Red Sea. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sharee claimed the Houthis conducted multiple drone and missile strikes targeting the Maltese-flagged Elbella and Cypriot-flagged AAL Genoa in the Red Sea. Houthi media claimed that the United States and the United Kingdom conducted four strikes targeting Hudaydah International Airport and Salif Port in Hudaydah Province, Yemen. Iran Some elements in the IRGC appear to be supporting Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in the upcoming Iranian presidential election. This support is unsurprising given Ghalibaf’s deep connections to the IRGC. Iraq The US State Department said that it is concerned that the Iraqi prime minister does not control fully the Iraqi PMF. Iran has infiltrated the PMF extensively and uses it to exert significant influence in Iraq.  
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/7/2024 11:18:29 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#22]
June 7 Red Sea Update In the past 24 hours, Iranian-backed Houthis launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships. Additionally, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed four UASs and two ASBMs in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. USCENTCOM forces also successfully destroyed one UAS launched from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen into the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Separately, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed a Houthi patrol boat in the Red Sea. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 1:05:19 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Reuters: Depleted Hamas switches to insurgent tactics in Gaza, posing steep challenge Link here and entire article posted below The best line in the article--Lerner, an DF spokesperson, agreed Israel faced a protracted battle to overcome Hamas, "There is no quick fix after 17 years of them building their capabilities". Highpoints Entire Reuters article below Longish article from the AP Gaza casualty figures in quote box below and here. What the fuck is it with westernized militaries running through an area and allowing the enemy a chance to go back to it? |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 8:47:46 AM EDT
[#24]
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 9:15:06 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GBTX01:
Excellent. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 9:25:56 AM EDT
[#26]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 10:07:23 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#27]
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the operation to rescue four hostages from Hamas captivity in central Gaza's Nuseirat earlier today was "daring." He says hostages Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv were rescued by special forces while "under fire." "During the operation, we struck... threats to our forces in the area. These threats were struck from the land, air and sea... in order for us to rescue the hostages," he says.
This was
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip reports "large numbers" of dead and injured are arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah amid the IDF's intensive operation in central Gaza's Nuseirat. The IDF said earlier in an unusual statement that it was striking targets in Nuseirat. The military is due to release more information later today.
 Attached File |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 11:47:42 AM EDT
[#28]
The name of the joint IDF, Shin Bet, and police operation to rescue the four hostages from the Gaza Strip is "Seeds of Summer." At 11:00 a.m. the order was given to the Yamam and Shin Bet officers to raid two multi-story buildings in central Gaza's Nuseirat, where Hamas was holding hostages Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv. The buildings were about 200 meters apart, and the decision to go for both simultaneously, and not just one of the sites, was due to the possibility that Hamas may murder the hostages after identifying the rescue operation. Argamani was held by Hamas guards alone in the home of a Palestinian family, while the other three hostages were held at a separate home. According to the IDF, Hamas pays such families to hold the hostages in their homes. At the home where Meir Jan, Kozlov, and Ziv were held, a major gun battle erupted, during which Yamam officer Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, the commander of the rescue team at the second building, was critically wounded by Hamas fire. As the three hostages and Zamora were being extracted, their vehicle came under fire, leading it to get stuck. Other forces quickly reached the scene to rescue them, bringing them to a makeshift helipad in Gaza. There was a large amount of gunfire and RPG fire on the rescue forces amid the operation, leading the ground troops and the Air Force to carry out major strikes in the area to protect themselves and the rescued hostages. The IDF acknowledges that it killed many Palestinian civilians amid the fighting, although it places the blame on Hamas for holding hostages in a civilian environment. Hamas operatives also fired anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli helicopters over the area amid the operation, without success. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 12:55:40 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#29]
Palestinian twitter is losing its mind:
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 1:34:25 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Palestinian twitter is losing its mind: |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 2:13:02 PM EDT
[#31]
The name of the hostage rescue mission in the central Gaza Strip today has been changed to "Operation Arnon" after Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora who was killed while battling Hamas operatives. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi spoke with the commander of the police's Yamam counter-terrorism unit, Commander "Het" -- his first initial in Hebrew -- to praise the unit for their "brave and determined action" in the rescue operation, the military says. The IDF says Halevi agreed with the Yamam commander to change the name of the operation in honor of Zamora. During the raid this morning, Zamora was fatally wounded by Hamas fire while breaching into a building where three of the four hostages were being held. He was taken to a hospital in Israel where he died. Zamora, 36, is survived by his wife and two children. On October 7, he led a battle against Hamas near the border community of Yad Mordechai, killing dozens of terrorists and preventing them from infiltration the kibbutz. After that battle, Zamora was involved in fighting at the Nahal Oz base and in Be'eri. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 2:19:01 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#32]
Article giving more details--plan was developed weeks ago. Decision to attack at 1100 made because past rescues were done at night.
‘Operation Arnon’: How 4 hostages were freed from Hamas captivity in central Gaza Link here. ‘Operation Arnon’: How 4 hostages were freed from Hamas captivity in central Gaza The Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police on Saturday morning carried out one of the most daring, complex, high-risk yet successful operations amid the war against Hamas, rescuing four hostages alive from the terror group’s captivity in the Gaza Strip. The mission was conducted in broad daylight and in an area where Israeli forces had not previously operated. The operation to rescue Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41 was planned out weeks in advance, according to information seen by The Times of Israel. Known originally as “Seeds of Summer,” its name was changed after the event to “Operation Arnon” after Yamam officer Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, who was critically wounded by Hamas fire amid the rescue of three of the hostages and later died of his wounds. During the planning period, intelligence on the hostages’ locations was obtained and studied. Amid the war, Hamas has repeatedly moved hostages around Gaza, in an attempt to prevent Israeli rescue operations. In the days leading up to the rescue, the police’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit drilled various models of the extraction from central Gaza’s Nuseirat, which military officials said were “similar to the Entebbe raid” of 1976, when Israeli commandos rescued more than 100 hostages in Uganda. Also in the days before the mission, the military launched a new operation in eastern Bureij — to the east of Nuseirat — and in east Deir al-Balah — to the southeast of where the hostages were rescued — in an apparent feint to reduce Hamas’s defenses in Nuseirat. And according to a diplomatic source, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the operation on Thursday evening when a war cabinet and security cabinet meeting was canceled. Simultaneous attacks Ultimately, the raid was carried out Saturday morning, after the Shin Bet recommended it would be an optimal time to surprise the Hamas terrorists holding the four hostages captive. Previous hostage rescue operations in Gaza have taken place overnight. At 11:00 a.m. the order was given to the Yamam and Shin Bet officers to raid two multi-story buildings in Nuseirat, where Hamas was holding the hostages. Nuseirat is one of the few areas of Gaza where ground troops have not yet entered during the IDF’s ground offensive against the Hamas terror group. The buildings were about 200 meters apart, and the decision to go for both simultaneously was due to the possibility that Hamas may murder the hostages after identifying the rescue operation at the other location. Argamani was held by Hamas guards alone in the home of a Palestinian family, while the other three hostages were held at a separate home, also with guards. According to the IDF, Hamas pays such families to hold the hostages in their houses. Argamani’s rescue was described by military officials as relatively smooth considering the circumstances. But a major gun battle erupted at the home where Meir Jan, Kozlov, and Ziv were held. Zamora, the commander of the rescue team at the second building, where the three hostages were being held, was critically wounded by Hamas fire and later died of his wounds. The Hamas guards were killed in the exchange. Under fire, and stuck A short while later, as the three hostages and Zamora were being extracted from Nuseirat, their vehicle came under fire, causing it to get stuck in Gaza. Other forces quickly reached the scene to rescue them, bringing them to a makeshift helipad in Gaza, from where they were airlifted to Tel Hashomer Hospital in central Israel. Noa was similarly taken by helicopter to the hospital, shortly before the other three were extracted from Gaza. According to the IDF, the rescue forces faced a massive amount of gunfire and RPG fire in Nuseirat, leading the ground troops and the Israeli Air Force to carry out major strikes in the area. The strikes, targeting the areas from where Hamas operatives were opening fire, were aimed at protecting the rescue forces and the hostages. Hamas’s government media office said at least 210 people were killed amid the operation. The IDF acknowledged that it killed Palestinian civilians amid the fighting, but it placed the blame on Hamas for holding hostages and fighting in a dense civilian environment. “We know about under 100 [Palestinian] casualties. I don’t know how many of them are terrorists,” IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a briefing with journalists, reported by Reuters. Hamas operatives also fired anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli helicopters over the area amid the operation, without managing to score any hits. Aside from Zamora, several more troops were slightly hurt by shrapnel amid the operation. Third rescue in 8 months Military officials said the mission was a “hair’s breadth” between success and failure. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar commanded the operation together. Netanyahu and Gallant also observed the mission from inside the war room. Halevi and the commander of Yamam later agreed to change the name of the rescue mission to “Operation Arnon,” in honor of the slain officer. It was only the third such successful operation in the 246 days since the Hamas-led attack in which the hostages were taken, after female soldier Ori Megidish was rescued in late October and Fernando Marman, 61, and Louis Har, 70, were rescued from southern Gaza’s Rafah in February. At least one more hostage rescue was attempted in December, but ended in failure, with the hostage being killed and his body remaining in Hamas captivity. All of the hostages rescued by the IDF from Gaza, including the four on Saturday, were saved from buildings and not from Hamas’s vast network of tunnels. Many other rescue operations have been planned, extensively in some cases, but were ultimately deemed too dangerous or otherwise impossible to carry out. Argamani, Meir Jan, Kozlov and Ziv, who had been in Hamas captivity for eight months, were all in good condition, according to initial medical assessments. The four had been abducted from the Supernova music festival near the community of Re’im on the morning of October 7, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in a murderous rampage in southern Israel. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 3:10:18 PM EDT
[#33]
Hamas looking to blame others.
 Attached File
Translation: Almog Meir Jan, who was rescued from captivity in Gaza in the heroic operation, met for the first time with his friends from home
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 3:47:17 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Palestinian twitter is losing its mind: Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Palestinian twitter is losing its mind:
Lol. Sure, sure. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 5:43:32 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#35]
Seen outside the White House.
 Attached File
Israeli fighter jets completed a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon a short while ago, targeting a cell and rocket launchers, the military says. The Hezbollah cell was identified entering a building used by the terror group in Markaba. A short while later the building was struck, according to the IDF. The IDF says fighter jets also hit four Hezbollah rocket launchers in Chihine, Zibqin, Hanine, and Houla. Earlier this evening, a Hezbollah barrage of five rockets on the Galilee Panhandle sparked a fire, the military says. Several more anti-tank guided missiles were launched at Malkia and Misgav Am, causing damage to buildings and sparking another fire in the latter community. The IDF says it shelled the sources of fire with artillery. Firefighters are working to extinguish the blazes. Hezbollah has taken responsibility for at least 10 attacks on northern Israel today, including claiming to use heavy "Falaq-2" rockets for the first time.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 5:49:06 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By michigan66: Seen outside the White House. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/501718/GPkxrkbWIAA2cZk_jpeg-3236007.JPG
Or Hamas will just increase their hostage:prisoner trade ratio to try to compensate |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 6:04:27 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By woozman:Or Hamas will just increase their hostage:prisoner trade ratio to try to compensate Entirely possible. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 8:23:08 PM EDT
[#38]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 8 June Key Takeaways Gaza Strip Israeli forces rescued four Hamas-held hostages during a complex operation in the central Gaza Strip. Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters during the rescue and Palestinian fighters killed one Israeli officer. Hamas fighters fired a man portable air defense system at an Israeli helicopter in Nuseirat, where the rescue occurred. The spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing threatened to capture more hostages and noted that most hostages remain in Hamas’ control. Hamas also said that Israel killed other hostages while conducting the rescue. Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz canceled his June 8 speech, in which he was expected to announce his resignation from the coalition government. 99th Division continued operations along the Netzarim Corridor in southern Gaza City. Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters mortared Israeli forces operating in the corridot. Hamas claimed two attacks on Israeli forces in Gaza City’s Zaytoun neighborhood. Clearing operations continued in eastern Deir al Balah and eastern Bureij. The Air Force struck militia infrastructure in the area and reported that there were secondary explosions caused by the airstrike. A Palestinian activist reported violent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militia fighters east of Bureij and Maghazi. Palestinian militias claimed the attacked Israeli forces using mortars and small arms in eastern Deir al Balah. Israeli radio reported the IDF launched raids in the central Gaza Strip as a cover for the hostage rescue operation. Israeli forces continued clearing operations in western. 401st Brigade raided Tal al Sultan, western Rafah, and destroyed a Hamas training facility. The IDF began “reinforcing security” near the US-constructed temporary pier in Gaza City. CENTCOM reattached its temporary pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip on June 7 after it suspended operations due to damage sustained at sea. Palestinian militias conducted one indirect fire attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least six locations across the West Bank since CTP-ISW's last data cut off on June 7. Lebanon Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least 11 attacks into northern Israel since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff on June 7. Yemen US CENTCOM destroyed a Houthi patrol boat in the Red Sea on June 7. Iraq Saraya Awliya al Dam, an Iraqi militia facade group with suspected ties to Kataib Sayyida al Shuhada and Kataib Hezbollah, said on June 8 that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the Rabin power station in Caesarea, Israel.  
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 10:00:57 PM EDT
[#39]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/8/2024 10:07:28 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BM1455:
The rumor going around is that the IDF used the pier to get their soldiers into Gaza. |
|
|
|
ESP
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 5:41:29 AM EDT
[#41]
Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher and other infrastructure in southern Lebanon:
The fighting on Israel's northern border is intensifying with an average of 10 terrorist attacks a day in May. Yesterday, a Hezbollah drone injured 11 people and killed one IDF soldier in the Galilee. Most Israeli citizens have evacuated communities near Israel's border with Lebanon. President Yitzhak Herzog called with tears of happiness to Israeli hostage Noa Argamani with her rescue from Hamas captivity and her arrival in the State of Israel together with the hostages Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv Israeli soldiers proudly bringing home four hostages from Gaza IDF Spox. on Operation to return 4 hostages back home: The name of the joint IDF, Shin Bet, and police operation to rescue the four hostages from the Gaza Strip is "Seeds of Summer." At 11:00 a.m. the order was given to the Yamam and Shin Bet officers to raid two multi-story buildings in central Gaza's Nuseirat, where Hamas was holding hostages Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv. The buildings were about 200 meters apart, and the decision to go for both simultaneously, and not just one of the sites, was due to the possibility that Hamas may murder the hostages after identifying the rescue operation. Argamani was held by Hamas guards alone in the home of a Palestinian family, while the other three hostages were held at a separate home. According to the IDF, Hamas pays such families to hold the hostages in their homes. At the home where Meir Jan, Kozlov, and Ziv were held, a major gun battle erupted, during which Yamam officer Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, the commander of the rescue team at the second building, was critically wounded by Hamas fire. As the three hostages and Zamora were being extracted, their vehicle came under fire, leading it to get stuck. Other forces quickly reached the scene to rescue them, bringing them to a makeshift helipad in Gaza. There was a large amount of gunfire and RPG fire on the rescue forces amid the operation, leading the ground troops and the Air Force to carry out major strikes in the area to protect themselves and the rescued hostages. The IDF acknowledges that it killed many Palestinian civilians amid the fighting, although it places the blame on Hamas for holding hostages in a civilian environment. Hamas terrorists also fired anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli helicopters over the area amid the operation, without success. |
|
|
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 9:06:55 AM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#42]
Good information In John Spencer's podcast on the Border Police special ops unit involved in yesterday's raid. They typically don't get the publicity the others do, but they are unique. Quite a few of their operators are native Arabic speakers from minority populations in Israel: Druze, Bedouin, Circassians info on Circassians here.. Samuel Katz wrote a book on them also--Ghost Warriors, Amazon link.
One of the lead units involved in Israel’s hostage rescue in Gaza is the Yamam (Israeli’s National Counterterrorism force). In 2021, I interviewed a former Yamam leader who was a part of one of their first operations. In the podcast we discuss the unit’s history/mission. Have a listen
Two explosive-laden drones launched from Lebanon at Israel an hour ago struck areas in the northern Golan Heights, sparking fires, the military says. The IDF says it is investigating the incident. Firefighters are meanwhile working to extinguish the blazes. A short while before the drone attack, a barrage of some 10 rockets was launched from Lebanon, hitting open areas in the northern Golan, the IDF says. The rocket attack also sparked a fire. The IDF says it is shelling the launch sites with artillery.
Israeli troops continue to operate in the central Gaza Strip following yesterday's hostage rescue mission in Nuseirat, the military says. The IDF's 98th Division launched an offensive last week in east Bureij and east Deir al-Balah -- east and southeast of Nuseirat, where the rescue operation took place. The division had participated in the operation, striking numerous targets and terror operatives in the area as special forces rescued the four hostages, the military says. Meanwhile, operations also continue in southern Gaza's Rafah, where the IDF says troops of the 162nd Division located several tunnel shafts, mortar launchers, and other weapons over the past day. And in the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, the IDF says a drone strike was carried out against a cell that had opened fire at troops operating in the area. Another airstrike was carried out against a mortar launcher at the Islamic University in southern Gaza City, after several projectiles were launched at troops in the corridor. No injuries were caused in the mortar attack. Numerous more strikes were carried out across Gaza over the past day. The IDF says one strike killed an Islamic Jihad field commander.
Israeli fighter jets struck several Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon last night and this morning, the military says. The IDF says the targets hit last night included infrastructure in Aitaroun and buildings used by the terror group in Rab al-Thalathine This morning, a rocket launcher in Houla was struck, the IDF adds. Also this morning, several rockets were launched from Lebanon at the Misgav Am area. According to the IDF, the rockets struck open areas, causing no injuries.
 Attached File
 Attached File Attached File Attached File |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 11:27:31 AM EDT
[#43]
Hamas: The Israeli soldiers in the military rescue operation in Nuseirat impersonated refugees. Link
Hamas' Public Relations office claims that the Israel soldiers that took part in the Israeli hostage rescue operation entered the Nuseirat refugee camp with civilian vehicles, in camouflage, impersonating refugees and displaced Palestinians. According to the office, during the operation, 89 inhabited apartments and homes were harmed. They would never do anything like that.  Hamas Militants Don IDF Uniforms Inside Israel | Watch What Happened Next ...Hamas media office claims “210 martyrs” were killed and over 400 injured, and accuses the IDF of a “massacre” and of engaging in “brutal and savage aggression on Nuseirat camp.” |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 12:09:51 PM EDT
[#44]
According to AFP, the Hamas media office claims “210 martyrs” were killed and over 400 injured, and accuses the IDF of a “massacre” and of engaging in “brutal and savage aggression on Nuseirat camp.” The terror group’s figures cannot be verified and do not distinguish between its own gunmen and civilians. Translation: “The IDF conducted a highly successful operation in an area we thought they would not operate, taking us completely by surprise. Numerous armed Hamas fighters were killed, along with some of the “civilian” useful idiots we use for propaganda purposes. We are extremely butthurt over this, and will complain about it to anyone who will listen while casting ourselves, the violent kidnapping rapist and torturers, as the victims.” |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 2:06:20 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#45]
Link to liveblog articles below 'A heavy heart, yet wholeheartedly': Benny Gantz announces his resignation from Netanyahu government. War Cabinet minister Benny Gantz announced his resignation in a press conference he held on Sunday. "Netanyahu is preventing us from progressing towards a true victory," he stated, "For this reason we are leaving the emergency government today, with a heavy heart, yet wholeheartedly." Gantz then called on Netanyahu to set a date for elections, adding, "do not let our nation tear apart." "Defense minister, you are a courageous and determined leader, and above all — a patriot. In this team, leadership and courage means not only saying what's right - but doing what's right," he said. "There are those who say that we helped Netanyahu get into the government - he isn't the point - Israel is. I know that people say I am not a cheater, a hater, and am not uninhibited like my contenders. True, but I can promise you one thing - I am prepared to die for your children. I will also be there when the country needs us. I will pay any political price and won't fear what people will say," added Gantz. "I want to ask the hostages' families for forgiveness. We did a lot - but we failed. We have not succeeded in returning many of the hostages home. The responsibility for this is mine too. I stand behind the plan we decided upon in the war cabinet, presented by President Biden, and demand from the prime minister the courage needed to stand behind it and promote it," he said. He then called on the citizens of Israel: "Keep reporting for duty." IDF: Hamas member held three Israeli hostages in his home alongside his family The Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that Abdallah Ajamal, who was killed during the IDF rescue operation on Saturday, was a member of Hamas who held hostages in his home. According to the IDF statement, Ajamal held hostages Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv in his home alongside his family. All three hostages, as well as Noa Argamani, were rescued by the IDF. And thanks to @Chokey, here's the rest of the story: Originally Posted By Chokey:
 Ben-Gvir's party says it will vote with Netanyahu coalition due to Gantz's expected resignation, rejection of hostage deal--Netanyahu's government won't fall anytime soon. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's party Otzma Yehudit announced that it will go back to voting with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition in the Knesset, due to Hamas' apparent rejection of the deal and the expected resignation of the National Unity party from the government. In an announcement, the party said it will "keep voting with the coalition as long as there is no reckless deal on the table," and called to "raise the military pressure, which yet again proved to be the effective way to return our hostages." Last Wednesday, the party announcement that it will not be committed to the coalition in Knesset voting, until Netanyahu "stops concealing deal drafts." In the past, Otzma Yehudit members have boycotted voting, like in May 2023, when they declined to participate in Knesset voting due to what they called a "meek IDF response" to rocket fire from Gaza.
The military releases headcam footage showing the moment when the Israeli hostages rescued from Hamas captivity in central Gaza's Nuseirat by special forces were brought to a helipad to be airlifted to Israel. The video comes from the camera of a soldier in the Navy's elite Shayetet 13 commando unit, the IDF says. The military says the Paratroopers Brigade's reconnaissance unit had aided in the extraction of the Yamam officers and Shin Bet agents with the four rescued hostages from Nuseirat, while under fire. At the same time, the IDF says members of the Israeli Air Force's elite Shaldag and 669 units worked to treat wounded Yamam officer Ch. Insp. Arnon Zmora, who was fatally shot by Hamas terrorists guarding three of the four hostages. Zmora died upon arriving at a hospital in Israel, and the rescue mission was later named "Operation Arnon" in his honor.
Palestinian twitter in quote box
Link to tweet described below, can't get it to post the usual way. Qassam vs IDF in Beit Hanoun: Extended footage from 22/5 complex, three-stage ambush: 1) IEDs + EFPs vs soldiers + their armour reinforcements; 2) al-Ghoul sniper op with 2 IDF killed in 1 shot; 3) booby-trapped tunnel. [Qassam Brigades via Al Jazeera 6/6] |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 4:43:35 PM EDT
[Last Edit: wgjhsafT]
[#46]
Gantz ultimatum
This is from May 20, 2024 but predicting Gantz's separation from Netanyahu's war cabinet to drive Gantz's alliance with the US to win the election and smash Netanyahu. After having attempted to defeat Benjamin Netanyahu in five rounds of elections between 2019 and 2022, Gantz heeded calls from the Israeli public to put aside political feuds. He joined the government, sparking the creation of a special war cabinet, which, in addition to him, consists of Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, and three observers. While decisions of the war cabinet are not constitutionally binding, they carry moral authority. Gantz’s presence reassures the Israeli public—and foreign friends—that policy serves the national interest. From now on, however, the government’s decisions will be open to the accusation that they serve the prime minister’s narrow interests. In fact, Gantz was already making the case on Saturday night. “A small minority took over the bridge of the Israeli ship, and is sailing it toward a wall of rocks,” Gantz asserted, as if he himself had not been present on the bridge throughout the war. If Netanyahu’s government were to fall, Gantz’s National Unity party would likely be a big winner at the ballot box. It currently holds 12 seats in the Knesset, but polls indicate that, if the election were held today, it would gain 18 more, for a total of 30. Netanyahu’s Likud might win around 20, down from 32. When asked who they prefer as prime minister, Gantz leads Netanyahu, albeit by a slimmer margin. |
|
|
|
ESP
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 8:01:01 PM EDT
[#47]
Video showing the moment the rescued hostages reunite with their families.
An Air Force aircraft attacked an operative of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, who was identified by the forces of the 91st Division in the Itatron area in southern Lebanon. Israeli fighter jets completed a wave of airstrikes in Southern Lebanon a short while ago, targeting a cell and rocket launchers: Special video from Gaza: Noa Argamani is escorted by IDF fighters to the rescue helicopter after she was rescued from the terrorists' apartment in Nuseirat: Prime Minister Netanyahu visits the four released hostages in hospital. Noa Argamani enters the helicopter in the Gaza Strip |
|
|
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 8:03:31 PM EDT
[Last Edit: michigan66]
[#48]
 Institute for Study of War Backgrounder 9 June Key Takeaways Gaza Hamas claimed that the IDF operation to rescue four hostages in the central Gaza Strip killed three other Israeli hostages, one of whom was an American. Israeli aircraft conducted dozens of strikes on Nuseirat during the June 8 operation, causing significant damage and casualties according to Palestinian health officials. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the US-constructed temporary pier in Gaza City was not involved in the IDF operation to extract hostages from Nuseirat on June 8. Palestinian militias claimed that the US participated in and facilitated the hostage rescue operation. The IDF expects to conclude clearing operations in Rafah in the “next few weeks". The IDF will transition to a targeted raid approach in the Gaza Strip after concluding operations in Rafah. IDF transitioned to a ”targeted raid” model in the northern Gaza Strip in late December 2023, withdrawing five brigades. Since then the IDF has repeatedly had to conduct clearing operations in neighborhoods previously declared "clear". Some areas have been "cleared" three times. 99th Division continued to operate along the Netzarim Corridor in southern Gaza City. The IDF destroyed a mortar position near the Islamic University campus south of Gaza City after Palestinian fighters from the al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades used it to attack Israeli forces along the corridor. 98th Division continued clearing operations in eastern Deir al Balah and eastern Bureij in the central Gaza Strip. The Air Force struck Palestinian fighters, including a cell that fired on IDF 98th Division forces. Israeli forces expanded clearing operations into northeast Rafah. Local reports indicated that Israeli armor advanced into Khirbet al Adas and Musabeh, northeast of Rafah. 162nd Division continued "targeted” operations to locate additional tunnel shafts and weapons caches. The Givati Brigade located rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, explosive charges, ammunition, grenades, and other military equipment during the operation. Palestinian groups attacked Israeli forces in multiple locations in Rafah. The Air Force killed a tactical-level Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander in the Gaza Strip on June 9. Hamas and PIJ launched a combined rocket attack targeting an IDF site near Rafah. Palestinian fighters launched four rockets from the northern Gaza Strip targeting Israeli towns near Sderot. West Bank Israeli forces engaged Palestinian fighters in at least three locations across the West Bank. Lebanon Lebanese Hezbollah has conducted at least 10 attacks into northern Israel Yemen A Houthi attack in the Arabian Sea on June 9 caused two ships to catch fire. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed the Houthis conducted a combined drone and missile attack targeting two vessels, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Norderney and the Liberia-flagged MSC Tavivshi, in the Arabian sea. The British maritime company Ambrey stated that a missile struck the Norderney 83 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen. UKMTO reported that vessel’s mooring station caught fire. UKMTO also reported that a second vessel was struck by an unknown projective 70 nautical miles southwest of Aden, resulting in a fire, but the ship proceeded to its next port of call without casualties. UKMTO also reported that a missile struck a third vessel in the Arabian Sea, 89 nautical miles southwest of Aden. Houthis claimed they attacked the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond in the Red Sea with missiles. The British Ministry of Defense denied the Houthis’ claim. Houthi media claimed that the United States and the United Kingdom conducted three airstrikes targeting al Jabaneh, west of Hudaydah, Yemen, on June 9. Israel Israeli War Cabinet minister Benny Gantz resigned from the coalition government on June 9. Gantz’s resignation will not on its own cause the collapse of the Netanyahu government. Gantz said he resigned because of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip, which he believes is ”preventing [Israel] from reaching true victory.” Iran Iran’s Guardian Council approved six candidates to participate in the June 28 Iranian presidential elections. The council only approved one reformist politician, and it disqualified prominent moderate politician Ali Larijani for the second consecutive presidential election.   
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/9/2024 8:23:10 PM EDT
[#49]
June 9 U.S. Central Command Update In the past 24 hours, Iranian-backed Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. One ASBM struck M/V Tavvishi, a Liberian-flagged, Swiss owned and operated container ship. M/V Tavvishi reported damage but has continued underway. The second ASBM was successfully destroyed by a coalition ship. There were no injuries reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels. Separately, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one ASBM and one anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) into the Gulf of Aden. Both missiles struck M/V Norderney, an Antigua and Barbados flagged, German owned and operated cargo ship. M/V Norderney reported damage but has continued underway. There were no injuries reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels. Additionally, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) over the Gulf of Aden. Later, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed two Houthi land attack cruise missiles (LACM) and one missile launcher in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This action was taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 6/10/2024 2:59:18 AM EDT
[#50]
Several Hamas operatives, including members of the terror group's elite Nukhba force were killed in airstrikes in the central Gaza Strip in the last few hours, the military says. The IDF says that simultaneously, strikes were also carried out against Hamas tunnel infrastructure in the Deir al-Balah area. The strikes come as the 98th Division continues an offensive in central Gaza. Amid the operation in central Gaza, the IDF says troops of the 7th Armored Brigade and elite Yahalom combat engineering unit raided several buildings used by terror groups and demolished tunnels. Operations also continue in southern Gaza's Rafah. In one incident in Rafah, the IDF says a drone strike was carried out against two gunmen who were spotted by troops 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit heading toward a tunnel shaft.
A Palestinian gunman was shot dead by a Border Police sniper during an overnight arrest raid in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, police say. According to police, undercover officers raided the Tulkarem neighbourhood of Danaba to detain a Palestinian wanted over his alleged involvement in terror activities. The suspect was detained by the Border Police officers, and clashes erupted in the area. Police say that an armed Palestinian wearing a military vest was shot dead by a sniper amid the clashes. No Israeli officers were hurt. Separately, a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces during a raid in the West Bank's Far’a camp, near Tubas this morning, Palestinian media report. The IDF says it launched a "wide counter-terrorism operation" in Far'a, during which troops shot several suspects and neutralised explosive devices. The operation is still ongoing. The official Palestinian Wafa news agency says another four people were wounded by IDF fire in Far'a.
A cell of Hezbollah operatives that launched anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli fighter jets over southern Lebanon earlier today were killed in a drone strike, the military says. The IDF says there was no threat to the fighter jets amid the attack. A short while after the missiles were launched, a drone struck and killed the cell, near the coastal city of Tyre, according to the military. Meanwhile, the IDF says it struck buildings used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Chebaa, Aitaroun, and Markaba, alongside additional infrastructure in Aitaroun and a rocket launcher in at-Tiri, used in a recent attack on northern Israel. Another building in southern Lebanon's Houla, where the IDF says it identified Hezbollah operatives, was also hit by fighter jets.
Article referenced in tweet--Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Abduct UN Employees Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen abducted at least 15 Yemeni employees of United Nations (UN) and other international agencies on June 7. Houthi enforcers detained nine employees of UN agencies, three from the U.S.-funded pro-democracy group National Democratic Institute, and three employees of a local human rights group, Reuters reported, citing information from officials in Yemen’s internationally recognized government. They also raided the homes and offices of the detainees and confiscated phones and computers. The Associated Press (AP) confirmed the reports, citing regional officials stating that the UN staffers detained, all of whom are Yemeni citizens, worked for the “UN human rights agency, its development program, the World Food Programme and one working for the office of its special envoy.” The officials told AP that the wife of one of the staffers was detained as well. Most of the agencies have not yet publicly commented on the detentions. Save the Children, a non-governmental organization, told AP that it was “concerned of the whereabouts of one of our staff members in Yemen and doing everything we can to ensure his safety and well-being.” “The Houthis flout every aspect of international law — kidnapping non-combatants, strikes against international shipping, and attacks on Israel. They are not deterred by pinpoint attacks by U.S. and United Kingdom forces. They and their sponsor, Iran, will only be deterred by meaningful, cost-imposing strikes. This sort of offensive campaign is long overdue.” — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, FDD Senior Fellow and Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology “The detention of Yemeni employees by Iran-backed Houthi rebels not only jeopardizes the safety of humanitarian workers but also disrupts vital aid operations essential for the survival of millions who have suffered since 2014. Moreover, the recent collaboration between the Iraqi groups and the Houthis highlights Iran’s broader ambition in the region: to intensify its attacks on Israel and disrupt maritime supply lines in the Red Sea, thereby impacting other countries in the region such as Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.” — Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Research Analyst The arrests came one day after Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said that the group would intensify its attacks against Israel in coordination with Iran-backed Shia militias based in Iraq — the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said that the Houthis and the Islamic Resistance had launched joint military operations against ships in Israel’s Haifa port. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said Saree’s claims were “not true.” The Houthis have launched multiple drone and missile attacks towards Israeli territory since October 19, shortly after the group announced that it would support Hamas in its war with Israel. The IDF has thwarted nearly all of the attacks, with only one missile so far impacting an open area near the southern port city of Eilat on March 17. The group has also continuously attacked commercial and military ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait since November 19, claiming to target more than 100 ships traveling through the critical trade route linking Europe and Asia. On June 6, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that its forces destroyed eight Houthi aerial drones and two naval drones launched from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen over the past 24 hours after determining them to be an “imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.” A Houthi-run television station claimed that U.S.-led forces conducted airstrikes near the Red Sea port city of Hodeida on June 7, but CENTCOM has not verified the claim. UN food agency pauses delivery of aid from US pier in Gaza, citing safety concerns Link The director of the UN World Food Program says Sunday the program has “paused” its distribution of humanitarian aid from an American-built pier off Gaza, saying she was “concerned about the safety of our people” after what had been one of the deadliest days of the war there. Saturday saw both an Israeli military operation that freed four hostages from Hamas captivity but was accompanied by deadly fighting, and, Cindy McCain says, two of WFP’s warehouses in Gaza had been “rocketed” and a staffer injured. The UN announcement of the pause appears the latest setback for the US sea route, set up to try to bring more aid to Gaza’s starving people. The US Agency for International Development describes the pause as a step to allow for a security review by the humanitarian community in Gaza. USAID works with the World Food Program and their humanitarian partners in Gaza to distribute food and other aid coming from the US-operated pier. The UN agency gives no further details, including how long the pause will last. WFP spokespeople do not respond to requests for further details. Asked about the pier operation during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” McCain says: “Right now we’re paused.” “I’m concerned about the safety of our people after the incident yesterday,” McCain says, without elaboration. “We also, two of our warehouses, the warehouse complex were rocketed yesterday.” “We’ve stepped back for the moment,” she says, and want “to make sure that we’re on safe terms and on safe ground before we’ll restart. But the rest of the country is operational. We’re doing … everything we can in the north and the south.” USAID says in a statement to The Associated Press that it’s working with other US government officials and with humanitarian groups in Gaza “to ensure that aid can safely and effectively resume movement following completion of the security review that the humanitarian community is currently undertaking.” |
|
|
|
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
