Security officials: 'High chance that Sinwar was killed in Gaza strike'

Security officials have said that the chances that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in a strike in Gaza are "increasingly higher," Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The IDF and Shin Bet (ISA) put out a joint statement on the possible assassination earlier Thursday.

"Initial report - During IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, three terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed," the IDF said.

"In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution."

Sinwar orchestrated the October 7 Massacre, which led to the deaths of over 1,200 people, including Israelis and other nationalities alike, and took hostage over 250 people, of which 101 remain in Gaza. 

Of the 101 hostages, the IDF confirmed that 48 were killed in captivity. 

Several Hamas leaders have been eliminated by Israel, including Hamas political head Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran in July, and Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, who was killed in the Gaza Strip in July. 

Report: Blinken mulling post-war Gaza plan to present after US elections

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is trying to coordinate a post-war plan for Gaza to be presented after the US presidential elections next month based on ideas offered by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Axios reported on Wednesday citing unnamed US, Israeli, Palestinian, and Emirati officials.

According to the US officials, Blinken and others in the State Department believe that in the absence of a deal that would see Hamas hostages freed alongside a ceasefire in Gaza, an organized post-war plan would be the push needed to begin ending the war in the Palestinian enclave.

Having failed to help broker an end to the war during his term, a successful post-war plan would be seen as US President Joe Biden’s administration’s legacy, Axios said. READ MORE

US stealth bombers hit Houthi underground weapons depots in apparent warning to Iran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — US long-range B-2 stealth bombers launched airstrikes early Thursday morning targeting underground bunkers used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what damage was done in the strikes.

However, there are no previous reports of the B-2 Spirit being used in the strikes targeting the Houthis, who have been attacking ships for months in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as well as launching direct attacks on Israel.

The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel reported airstrikes around Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which the group has held since 2014. They also reported strikes around the Houthi stronghold of Saada. They offered no immediate information on damage or casualties.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the B-2 bombers targeted “five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.” READ MORE

AIPAC: Threatening to cut support for Israel sends a dangerous message

AIPAC on Tuesday criticized the Biden administration after it sent a letter to Israel, warning Israel of a US arms embargo unless it allows more American humanitarian aid into Gaza within 30 days. “Threatening to cut off American support for Israel as it confronts Iran and its proxies on seven fronts weakens our ally, undermines American interests, and sends a dangerous message to our common enemies about US support for our democratic allies,” AIPAC said in a statement.

“Throughout this war, Israel has surged aid into Gaza, including food, medicine, and water. It opened crossings and worked to provide safe havens for civilians. No military has confronted a war environment like Gaza, and Israel routinely takes unprecedented steps to preserve and safeguard Palestinian lives, including broadcasting its moves and giving up the element of surprise. As it continues to operate in an extremely dangerous and difficult environment, Israel today said it will respond to the concerns raised by the United States,” it added.

The letter in question was written by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and delivered to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on Monday.

The American officials stated that there has been a decline in the amount of humanitarian aid that has entered Gaza in recent months and that this raises "questions" about Israel's commitment not to place restrictions on the entry of aid into the enclave.

The letter states, “We are particularly concerned that recent actions by the Israeli government—including halting commercial imports, denying or impeding nearly 90 percent of humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza in September, continuing burdensome and excessive dual-use restrictions, and instituting new vetting and onerous liability and customs requirements for humanitarian staff and shipments—together with increased lawlessness and looting—are contributing to an accelerated deterioration in the conditions in Gaza.”

Later on Tuesday, an Israeli official responded to the letter, saying that it “has been received and is being thoroughly reviewed by Israeli security officials. Israel takes this matter seriously and intends to address the concerns raised in this letter with our American counterparts.”

News of the letter came two days after US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris urged Israel to increase efforts in allowing humanitarian aid into northern Gaza.

Her call followed claims from the UN's World Food Program (WFP) that no aid has reached that region of the Strip for nearly two weeks.

“The UN reports that no food has entered northern Gaza in nearly two weeks. Israel must urgently do more to facilitate the flow of aid to those in need. Civilians must be protected and must have access to food, water, and medicine. International humanitarian law must be respected,” Harris wrote in a post on X.

On Monday, the political echelon ordered that humanitarian aid be delivered to the northern Gaza Strip.

Following the directive, 30 trucks of flour and food entered from Ashdod Port through the Erez crossing to the northern Gaza Strip, after two weeks in which no aid was brought into the area.

When food does enter the Strip, it is often taken by Hamas, as shown in video footage published by Channel 12 News last week.

Out of approximately 100 aid trucks which entered Gaza, Hamas took over 47 of them.

The footage, which was filmed in Rafah, shows the trucks moving with the humanitarian aid, which does not reach the civilians. The terrorists can be seen taking over the trucks, and firing at anyone who attempts to approach.

The aid taken over by Hamas is then sold for a high price, and the money used to fund the terror group's continued operations. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

Deputy Chief of Staff: 'We're destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, there's no other way'

IDF Deputy Chief Staff MG Amir Baram held a situational assessment on Tuesday with the Commanding Officer of the 91st Division, BG Shai Klapper, the Commanding Officer of the 8th Brigade, COL Dori Saar, and the Commanding Officer of the Yahalom Unit, COL A, and spoke with soldiers during their limited, localized, targeted raids in southern Lebanon.

The Deputy Chief of the General Staff visited the underground compound that served as a command center for the Radwan Forces, which was recently located by the brigade's soldiers in cooperation with Yahalom Unit soldiers who raided the area.

"For years, the 91st Division and the Northern Command have prepared for defense and containment against what Hezbollah called 'Conquer the Galilee.' It is powerful and pride-inducing that now we are operating in the area from which they planned to attack us, dismantling their infrastructure and plans," MG Baram stated.

"This is how it should be done—there is no other way. Continue with your high-quality and significant operational work, which will have an impact for years to come on us and on the Middle East," he added. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

Ambassador Danon: The problem is that Hamas steals aid for Gazans

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, spoke to the media on Wednesday, before a session of the UN Security Council session, where he reiterated that the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza is not the issue, but rather the fact that Hamas steals aid which is destined for Gazans.

“We’re hearing a lot of accusations about humanitarian efforts in Gaza, so I want to make it clear: The problem in Gaza is not lack of aid. The problem is Hamas, which hijacks the aid, steals it, stores it and sells it in order to feed its terror machine while civilians suffer,” said Danon.

His comments follow a letter which was sent on Monday by US Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin to Israeli leaders, warning that US weapon shipments to Israel could be affected if Israel fails to make improvements in Gaza within 30 days.

On Tuesday, an Israeli official responded to the American letter, saying that it “has been received and is being thoroughly reviewed by Israeli security officials. Israel takes this matter seriously and intends to address the concerns raised in this letter with our American counterparts.”

News of the letter came two days after US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris urged Israel to increase efforts in allowing humanitarian aid into northern Gaza.

Her call followed claims from the UN's World Food Program (WFP) that no aid has reached that region of the Strip for nearly two weeks.

“The UN reports that no food has entered northern Gaza in nearly two weeks. Israel must urgently do more to facilitate the flow of aid to those in need. Civilians must be protected and must have access to food, water, and medicine. International humanitarian law must be respected,” Harris wrote in a post on X. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

Israel may have to let missiles through air defenses amid shortage of interceptors...

ISRAEL faces a shortage of rocket and missile interceptors vital for its Iron Dome air defense system - meaning terrorist weapons could pierce through.

After a year of war in Gaza and now heavy fighting in Lebanon, Israel's store of crucial $2million Arrow 3 missiles has taken a heavy hit.

The specialist rockets are used to intercept ballistic missiles - fired by terror groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon - at significant distances from the Israeli border.

They form a key part of the $150million Iron Dome defence system which has kept Israel safe from countless onslaughts by air.

Now the country gears up to protect itself from attacks by Iran - potentially in partnership with its ferocious terror proxies.

Industry specialists, former military officials and analysts told The Financial Times that the shortage of interceptor missiles poses a serious threat. (Read More)

Jordan tells Iran it will not allow anyone to ‘violate’ its airspace

AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan’s foreign minister tells his Iranian counterpart that the kingdom would not allow any parties to violate its airspace, as the region braces for Israel’s retaliation against Iran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this month

Jordan will “not be a battlefield for anyone and will not allow any party to violate its sovereignty and airspace and threaten its citizens’ security,” Ayman Safadi says in a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi. (Read More)

Iran says it will respond ‘decisively’ if Israel attacks, asks UN to intervene

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned UN chief Antonio Guterres that Tehran is ready for a “decisive and regretful” response if Israel attacks his country in retaliation to the almost 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last week that Israel “will soon respond” to the missile attack, vowing it will be “precise and deadly.”

Iran’s atomic energy agency spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Wednesday that the probability of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites was “low” but any potential damage would be “quickly compensated,” according to Nournews. (Read More)

Watch: IDF seizes Hezbollah weaponry on northern front as Gaza operations intensify

The military is continuing operational activities throughout the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon to meet their goal of eliminating terror organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, striking hundreds of terror targets in a single day, the IDF announced early Tuesday morning.

Operational activities in southern Lebanon aim to dismantle Hezbollah's critical points of terror infrastructure, leading IDF ground troops and IAF fighter jets to work in conjunction between close-quarters combat and airstrikes.

In this action, troops have located and destroyed large quantities of Hezbollah weaponry.

According to the IDF, in the last day, collaborative efforts between ground forces and the IAF have led to more than 200 Hezbollah terrorist targets deep into Lebanese territory have been destroyed. This includes but is not limited to terrorist cells, anti-tank missile posts, and surface-to-surface missile launchers.

As northern front remains heated, Gaza operations continue

As operations on Israel's northern front with Lebanon continue into its third week, the military is proceeding in Jabaliya-based activities against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, eliminating dozens of terrorists in the last day.

Troops eliminated a terror cell after the group launched anti-tank missiles toward them. Additionally, the military identified and destroyed a Hamas launcher that was used to fire on the Israeli public. WATCH

Gallant tells hostage families no deal on the horizon, Hamas hoping for regional war

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday told hostages’ family members that there is no end in sight to the impasse between Israel and Hamas on negotiations to free their loved ones, explaining that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar is watching the escalations on the Lebanese and Iranian fronts and hoping his long-sought regional war will finally materialize.

“There’s stagnation, and I don’t see progress right now in this period, I’m very sorry to say,” the defense minister told families, as heard in a recording aired by the Hebrew press.

“There’s been a hardening on the part of Hamas,” he said, adding that the terror group is monitoring Israel’s fight against Hezbollah and its ramped-up threats against Iran, and hoping “something will happen that will serve them.”

The comments came some two weeks into an Israeli ground offensive in southern Lebanon against the Hezbollah. The terror group began attacking Israeli military posts and border communities on October 8, 2023, with rockets and fighter drones, declaring its solidarity with Hamas and causing the displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in the north. Israel has vowed to make it safe for those residents to return home.

According to the Ynet news site, Gallant told the families on Monday that if an opportunity arose to advance a hostage deal by linking the Lebanese and Gazan fronts, Israel would take it. Until now, Israel has sought to separate the two theaters after a year in which Hezbollah had insisted it would not stop attacking Israel without a deal to end the war in Gaza. READ MORE

54% of Americans say Israel must attack Iran’s nuclear weapons programs

A new Harvard Harris survey was conducted online within the US from October 11-13, 2024 among 3,145 registered voters. Respondents for this poll were recruited through opt-in, web-panel recruitment sampling.

Results are weighted for age within gender, region, race/ethnicity, marital status, household size, income, employment, education, political party, and political ideology where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

Thirty percent of voters believe that the US is on the right track; 10% in economy, while just under half of voters say that their personal situation is getting worse. 60% of voters agree price rises and inflation have proven to be sticky.

President Joe Biden has the support of 42% of voters, with approval of his handling of racial equity, stimulating jobs, abortion and climate change. Voters are split on approval of Harris, though almost 90% of Democrat voters approve of the job she is doing as VP.

In Israel-related matters, 60% of voters continue to follow the Israel-Hamas war closely; with 81% of voters overwhelmingly support Israel over Hamas.

Nearly 70% of voters say they only favor a conditional ceasefire with Hamas based on release of hostages and Hamas leaving power, with 80% saying that Hamas should be removed from Gaza.

A majority of voters say Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, with double the number of voters supporting Israel’s recent strikes on Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon.

Nearly 75% of voters view Iran as a regional sponsor of terror in the Middle East, blaming it, rather than Israel, for the escalating conflict in the region and 60% believe Israel is justified in responding to Iran’s recent missile attack.

A slight majority (54%) supports Israel striking Iran’s nuclear weapons programs as a response to the recent attack. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

UN insists: UNIFIL peacekeepers will stay in all positions in Lebanon

United Nations peacekeepers will remain in their positions in Lebanon, despite calls from Israel for them to relocate amid escalating clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the UN peacekeeping chief stated on Monday, after five peacekeepers were injured during the ongoing conflict, AFP reported.

"The decision was made that UNIFIL would currently stay in all its positions in spite of the calls that were made by the Israel Defense Forces to vacate the positions that are in the vicinity of the Blue Line," said UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix, according to the report.

"I want to emphasize that this decision still remains," Lacroix added, noting that the plan was reaffirmed earlier on Monday by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council unanimously expressed "strong concerns" following the recent incidents in which UNIFIL personnel were injured.

"Against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities along the Blue Line, the members of the Security Council expressed their strong concerns after several UNIFIL positions came under fire in the past days," said Switzerland’s UN ambassador, Pascale Baeriswyl, who holds the council’s rotating presidency. "Several peacekeepers have been wounded."

In a statement that did not specifically mention Israel, the 15 council members "urged all parties to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises. They recalled that UN peacekeepers and UN premises must never be the target of an attack."

UNIFIL has accused Israel in recent days of deliberately targeting its peacekeepers in Lebanon.

The IDF has stressed that the IDF instructed UNIFIL personnel to enter into protected spaces before the strikes and added and explained that Hezbollah deliberately operates with the intent to harm Israeli civilians from civilian areas and near UNIFIL posts.

On Sunday, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that a large barrage of anti-tank missiles was fired toward IDF troops in southern Lebanon.

During the attack, two IDF soldiers were severely injured and multiple other soldiers were lightly and moderately injured. Their families have been notified, said the IDF.

“An initial review showed that an IDF tank that was trying to evacuate injured soldiers while still under fire backed several meters into a UNIFIL post. Once the enemy fire stopped, and following the evacuation of the injured soldiers, the tank left the post,” it added.

“During the incident, a smoke screen was used to provide cover for the evacuation of the injured soldiers. IDF soldiers maintained coordination with UNIFIL. Throughout the entirety of the incident, no danger was posed to UNIFIL forces by the IDF activity,” the IDF stressed.

Later on Sunday, the IDF revealed that over the past month, approximately 25 rockets and missiles have been launched at Israeli communities and IDF troops from Hezbollah’s terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon, exploiting their proximity to UN forces. One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to accusations that the IDF has targeted UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon, calling these accusations "completely false."

"The charge that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL personnel is completely false," Netanyahu stated. "It's exactly the opposite. Israel repeatedly asks UNIFIL to get out of harm's way. It repeatedly asked them to temporarily leave the combat zone, which is right next to Israel's border with Lebanon."

"In fact," he said, "on the day that Israel began its ground operation next to our border with Lebanon, we asked them specifically, 'Please leave this area so you're not harmed.'"

Netanyahu declared that "Israel is not fighting UNIFIL, it is not fighting the people of Lebanon. It is fighting Iran's proxy Hezbollah, which uses Lebanese territory to attack Israel. Hezbollah attacked Israel last year without any provocation on October 8th, a day after the Hamas massacre, and it's continued to attack us ever since by launching over 10,000 rockets and missiles at Israel." Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

US urging American citizens to leave Lebanon immediately

The US Embassy in Beirut is urging American citizens to leave Lebanon immediately as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah worsens.

"US citizens in Lebanon are strongly encouraged to depart now," read a notice issued by the embassy on Monday and quoted by The New York Post.

"US citizens who choose not to depart at this time should prepare contingency plans should the situation deteriorate further," the notice added.

So far, only 1,100 of the estimated 86,000 Americans residing in Lebanon have left, according to the State Department. Since September 27, the US has arranged for thousands of seats on flights for those seeking to evacuate. However, the embassy cautioned that these flights "will not continue indefinitely," and urged those remaining in Lebanon to act swiftly.

Officials also emphasized that those who decide to stay should not count on US government assistance for evacuation later.

The US has several times updated its travel advisory to Lebanon in recent weeks, amid the tensions in the region.

In late September, following the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike in Beirut, the State Department directed family members of non-mission personnel to depart Lebanon and granted permission for family members of mission employees and non-essential staff to leave as well.

A week prior, the US State Department updated its travel advisory to Lebanon to urge US citizens “to depart Lebanon via commercial options while still available.” Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

Multi-front capitatulation in 72 hours

Yediot Aharonot reported Tuesday morning that in the last 72 hours, Israel has conceded on three fronts - Beirut, Iran, and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Beirut

The IDF has not attacked Beirut since last Thursday. In the last attack in west Beirut, dozens of people were killed and injured.

Kan reported Monday night that the instruction was passed on in writing on Friday morning, a day after the last attack. It was also reported that the ministers of the political-security cabinet were excluded from the decision to refrain from attacks in Beirut. Sources in the cabinet said the decision was not brought for approval in recent discussions, and they first heard about it from the media.

According to the sources, if the attacks in Beirut are not renewed, ministers will demand answers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and security officials at the upcoming cabinet meeting.

Iran

On Monday night, the Washington Post reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the United States that Israel would not attack oil or nuclear facilities in Iran.

The Israeli response will be coordinated with the Americans to prevent a situation where the step influences the elections in the United States, indicating that Netanyahu understood that an attack in Iran might change the picture of the presidential race in the US.

The Prime Minister's office responded to the report: "We are listening to the opinions of the American administration, but we will make our final decisions based on Israel's national interests."

Humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip

Political officials instructed Monday to renew the entry of humanitarian aid to the northern strip. 30 trucks of flour and food entered yesterday from Ashdod Port through the Erez Crossing to the northern strip, after two weeks in which aid was not entered into the area.

The decision was made following heavy American pressure exerted by figures worldwide, including US Vice President Kamala Harris, who demanded that Israel renew the entry of food to the northern strip.

"30 trucks containing flour and food from the WFP organization passed from Ashdod Port through the 'Erez West' crossing," noted the IDF. The unit that transferred the aid was the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories.

"The IDF, through COGAT, will continue to act in accordance with international law to enable and facilitate the humanitarian response to the Gaza Strip," said the army. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

Running low: Israel facing looming air defense shortage

A Financial Times report indicates that the air defense stockpiles of both Israel and the USA are rapidly running out.

In Israel, despite multiple layers of interceptor systems and a continually refined AI to ensure they are fired with maximum effect, the aerospace industry has been working significant overtime to keep production in line with demand.

One official stated that the factories were working 24/7, an unusual decision in light of the commanding trend in Israeli industry to stop production over Shabbat (the Sabbath).

The USA has recently begun shipping THAAD interceptor batteries to supplement Israel's defenses, but the continual demand has begun to wear on American suppliers as well. With Ukraine also still calling out for defense aid, American suppliers have been warning that America will soon have to choose which ally to protect.

The choice will also affect Israeli defense officials as they try to protect multiple regions of the country. One official stated that if the course of the war continues, especially in light of Iran's threats of retaliation for an expected Israeli attack, Israel would soon need to decide which areas to prioritize over others for interceptor deployment. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva

40 countries contributing to UN’s Lebanon peacekeeping force condemn ‘attacks

Forty nations that contribute to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said Saturday that they “strongly condemn recent attacks” on the peacekeepers.

“Such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated,” said the joint statement, posted on X by the Polish UN mission and signed by nations including leading contributors Indonesia, Italy and India.

Other signatories include Ghana, Nepal, Malaysia, Spain, France and China — all countries that have contributed several hundred troops to the force.

At least five peacekeepers have been wounded in recent days as Israel takes its fight against the Hezbollah terror group into southern Lebanon.

The peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, has accused the Israeli military of “deliberately” firing on its positions. READ MORE

Netanyahu’s ‘day after’ plan

Caroline B. Glick is the senior contributing editor of Jewish News Syndicate and host of the “Caroline Glick Show” on JNS. She is also the diplomatic commentator for Israel’s Channel 14, as well as a columnist for Newsweek. Glick is the senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington and a lecturer at Israel’s College of Statesmanship. She appears regularly on U.S., British, Australian and Indian television networks, including Fox, Newsmax and CBN. She appears, as well, on the BBC, Sky News Britain and Sky News Australia, and on India's WION News Network.

(JNS) Almost immediately after the Hamas-led Palestinian invasion of Israel last Oct. 7, the Biden-Harris administration began demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu present his “day after” plan for Gaza. Netanyahu insisted that the day after had to wait until the war was won.

But over time, Netanyahu began explaining contours of his post-war plans. They included the de-Hamasification of Gaza and permanent Israeli military control over Gaza. Since genocidal Jew-hatred and the goal of annihilating Israel is shared by Hamas and the U.S.-supported Palestinian Authority, Netanyahu insisted the P.A. cannot succeed Hamas in running Gaza.

The Biden-Harris administration didn’t like Netanyahu’s plans. But since they made sense to the vast majority of Israelis, and because 80% of Americans consistently told pollsters that they support Israeli victory, rather than fight Netanyahu, the administration maintained an outward stance of supporting Israel while using the U.S.’s formidable leverage over Israel to inhibit or block Israel from carrying out operations that would fundamentally change the strategic reality on the ground permanently, enabling the implementation of Netanyahu’s “day after” plans. (And save Israelii lives, ed.)

The administration’s demand for a “day after” plan wasn’t a request for an actual plan. The administration was demanding an Israeli commitment not to seek to use the war to fundamentally change the strategic realities on the ground that existed on Oct. 6, 2023. The U.S. wanted those conditions, which enabled Hamas to build its army of genocide, to continue to exist at the end of the war. And it wanted Netanyahu to accept this condition, which if accepted would block all prospects for Israeli victory. READ MORE

25 Hezbollah launches at Israel from near UNIFIL positions in past month

The IDF revealed on Sunday that over the past month, approximately 25 rockets and missiles have been launched at Israeli communities and IDF troops from Hezbollah’s terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon, exploiting their proximity to UN forces. One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers.

According to the IDF, Hezbollah uses compounds located above and below ground to carry out terrorist attacks against the State of Israel.

The military noted that during its limited, localized, targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence in southern Lebanon, the troops of the 146th Division located hundreds of weapons, including firearms, grenades, and rocket launchers aimed at Israeli territory. These weapons were stored inside underground compounds located from a few dozen meters up to a few hundred meters from UNIFIL posts situated near the Blue Line.

"UNIFIL in southern Lebanon was deployed to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and prevent the presence of Hezbollah armed operatives south of the Litani River. However, both the State of Lebanon and the international community have failed to implement Resolution 1701, despite repeated requests to do so," the IDF stated.

"For years, Hezbollah has embedded itself in southern Lebanon in grave violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The organization has stockpiled large quantities of weapons aimed at Israeli civilians over the years and has deliberately built up its attack infrastructure near UNIFIL posts," it added.

The IDF stressed that its targeted raids are only directed against Hezbollah, and the troops’ activities are not directed at UNIFIL posts, forces, or infrastructure. On Thursday, September 30th, prior to the start of the operation, IDF representatives submitted a request to the organization to move its personnel away from posts located within five kilometers of the Blue Line, as this area would become an active combat zone.

The IDF noted that it maintains continuous communication with UNIFIL to avoid, as much as possible, any harm to UNIFIL personnel in the area and will continue to do so, despite the complexities of the UNIFIL's presence inside the combat zone. WATCH

Tehran's hidden message: Why an Iranian official visited war-struck Beirut - analysis

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf piloted a plane that flew to Lebanon on Saturday.

The trip is important for a variety of reasons. First of all it is symbolically important that the Iranian felt comfortable flying into Beirut despite the war and the recent deaths of several Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members over the last year. In addition, his decision to fly the plane himself on part of the trip showcased a kind of bravado and Iranian attempt to grab headlines in the region.

Qalibaf arrived in Beirut on Saturday morning and met with Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is the head of Amal and has also spoken to US officials in the past, meaning he is a kind of key powerbroker in Lebanon now. He is a power broker because he is Shi’ite and can thus also speak on Hezbollah’s behalf when speaking to the West. When he speaks to Iran, he does so as a key component of Lebanon’s parliament. Lebanon does not have a president, which has meant that more spotlight falls on Berri and also Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Iranian state media noted that “Qalibaf is the second Iranian official to visit Lebanon since Israel started its intense airstrikes on the Arab country late last month. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Lebanon on October 4 for talks with top officials there.” The same report notes that Berri is heading for Geneva “where he is scheduled to attend the 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) taking place on October 13-17.”

Qalibaf said Iran is ready to aid Lebanon. “He said that he has conveyed the message of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to the people of Lebanon,” Iran’s state media noted. He also toured areas that had been bombed in Beirut. READ MORE