English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 05/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when
all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out those who have
done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the
resurrection of condemnation
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 05/24-30/:” Very truly, I
tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal
life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life.
‘Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will
hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the
Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in
himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the
Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who
are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out those who have done
good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the
resurrection of condemnation. ‘I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge;
and my judgement is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of
him who sent me.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on October 04-05/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: To Hell and Its Fires: A Call to
Accountability for Lebanon’s Iscariots Allied with Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani /Text & Video: The Heresy of the Devil's Advocates,& the Necessity
of Banning the Mouthpieces of Iran's Axis from Media Platforms
Colonel Charbel Barakat: "Will Hezbollah Be Tried for Its Crimes?"Summarized and
translated freely from Arabic by Elias Bejjani, LCCC publisher & Editor.
Israeli Military Says it Has Killed 250 Hezbollah Fighters in Ground Operation
UN: Most of Lebanon's Displacement Shelters are Full
Lebanon Receives First UN Aid Plane since Israel's War
Hezbollah Refutes Claims that Nasrallah Was Buried 'in a Secret Location’
Israeli air force destroys 3.5 km. Lebanon-Syria Hezbollah smuggling tunnel
Since start of ground op. in Lebanon: IDF attacks 2,000 targets, Hezbollah fires
over 550 rockets
IDF strikes Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut as rockets rain on Israel's North
Golani Brigade seizes weapons, eliminate Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon ground
op.
Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut and cut off a key crossing
into Syria
Hezbollah and the second battle of Karbala/Aviel Schneider/Israel Today/October
04/2024
A Historic Moment: Hassan Nasrallah’s Killing is a Severe Blow to the Iran-led
Axis ...Israel is Likely to Hit Back Hard against Iran/Jonathan Spyer/Spectator/October
04/2024
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on October 04-05/2024
Biden says if in Israel's shoes he would consider alternatives to
striking Iranian oil facilities
Parting shot: Borrell accuses Israel of exacerbating conflict, intentionally
withholding aid
Israeli bombardment kills 29 people in Gaza, militants renew rocket fire into
Israel
Did Iran fall into Israel’s trap?
Iraqi drone kills two IDF soldiers, wounds several others
IDF rescues Yazidi woman enslaved by ISIS in Iraq and sold to Gazan
IDF kills Palestinian who lynched soldiers near Ramallah in 2000
IDF jets conduct strike in Tulkarm, eliminate Hamas commander responsible for
West Bank car bombing
US and Britain launch airstrikes by fighter jets and ships on Yemen's
Iran-backed Houthi rebels
American airstrikes launched on Yemen's Sanaa and Hodeidah
Israeli Bombardment Kills 29 People in Gaza, Rockets Fired into Israel
WHO Aims to Begin 2nd Phase of Polio Campaign in Gaza on Oct. 14
Kushner has discussed US-Saudi diplomacy with Saudi crown prince
Germany arrests teen suspected of planning terror attack on Jews during school
trip to Holland
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on October 04-05/2024
Talibanization of Bangladesh: Biden-Harris Administration, 'Human Rights' Groups
Silent/Keya Mukherjee/ Gatestone Institute./October 04, 2024
Recent IDF casualties show deadly drone threat from Iraq, Yemen is
increasing/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
Fake Solutions for a Real Problem/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2024
Tehran… Tel Aviv… On Course For Escalation/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
04/2024
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on October 04-05/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video:
To Hell and Its Fires: A Call to Accountability for Lebanon’s Iscariots
Allied with Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani/October 04/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/135249/
As Lebanon continues to be consumed by chaos, it is clear that many of our
politicians, officials, and religious leaders have abandoned their duties.
Instead of standing firm in defense of the nation, they shamefully protect and
cover for Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist proxy. This failure of leadership,
compounded by their lack of patriotism, has dragged Lebanon into a disastrous
conflict with Israel—a war that continues with the hope of dismantling and
disarming Hezbollah once and for all.
To hell with anyone who has allied themselves with Hezbollah, cowering before it
and trading Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence for political gain and
personal comfort. These traitors have sold the blood of our martyrs, bartering
dignity for power, and shamefully surrendered to the forces destroying our Holy
homeland of the Cedars.
Damn any so-called "national unity" that serves as a lifeline for Hezbollah—the
terrorist organization that has hijacked our country. Equally damned are the
corrupt, treasonous politicians, the false patriots who pretend to serve Lebanon
while serving their own interests, and the clergy who have betrayed their sacred
duty. The likes of Miqati, Berri, Jumblatt, Geagea, Aoun, and Bassil are at the
forefront of this betrayal, along with a brainwashed herd of followers who
blindly worship them.
And yes, the Maronite Patriarch al-Rahi, along with his cronies, bears the blame
as well. His failure of leadership and refusal to take a moral stand against
Hezbollah make him complicit. He is a puppet of failure, indecision, and
cowardice, lacking in both faith and leadership.
Shame and disgrace to any Christian politician or religious leader who equates
Hezbollah’s dead with Lebanon’s true martyrs. Our national heroes gave their
lives for independence and freedom, while Hezbollah’s foot soldiers push a
deadly, foreign agenda that only brings war and destruction.
The time has come to hold Hezbollah, and all those who collaborate with it,
accountable in international courts. And within Lebanon, every community must
rid itself of its internal filth, those who have sold their souls for power,
wealth, and submission.
In particular, the Maronite leadership must be cleansed. Samir Geagea, with his
silence and cowardice, has proven himself a political corpse. From his first day
in politics, he has been a failure—a silent, gutless man who hides behind others
and has no vision or voice. Then there’s Gebran Bassil and Michel Aoun, who sold
Lebanon to the Iranians, trading its sovereignty for personal gain. To hell with
them both, and to all those like them who betray our country.
And let us not forget Patriarch al-Rahi, whose resignation is long overdue. His
spinelessness and indecision have rendered him an utter failure. His presence is
a disaster for the Church and the nation, and he must step down immediately for
the good of Lebanon.
The Maronites, in particular, must lead by example, purging their ranks of these
traitors. We must be the first to cleanse ourselves of the political filth that
is destroying our country. This is not only a national duty, but a moral and
urgent obligation.
Elias Bejjani /Text
&
Video: The Heresy of the Devil's Advocates,& the Necessity of Banning the
Mouthpieces of Iran's Axis from Media Platforms
Elias Bejjani /December 02/ 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/135179/
"It is absolutely essential, especially now that Hezbollah—the terrorist arm of
the Mullahs' regime—has been broken and defeated, its assassination machine
dismantled, and its institutions laid bare for all to see. The party that
specialized in drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and money laundering has now
been stripped of all illusions and hallucinations of power. It has become clear,
beyond any doubt, that the Iranian Mullah regime is nothing more than a paper
tiger, whose sole aim is to destabilize Arab nations, break apart their states,
and seize control of their resources, using their own people against them. With
the collapse of the deceptive myth of 'resistance and liberation,' it is now
crucial that every mouthpiece and lackey of this Iranian terrorist axis be
banned from appearing on Lebanese and Arab media outlets.
These despicable individuals, these lowlifes, have sold their tongues, dignity,
and pens for thirty pieces of silver. They are a disgrace to every concept of
intellect, culture, truth, human potential, knowledge, faith, rights, and
dignity.
I urge readers to read Colonel Charbel Barakat's editorial, which sheds light on
the catastrophic role of those who masquerade as analysts, flooding the media
with false information and peddling paid propaganda for the inhumane and
terrorist Mullahs Iranian axis. The article, available in both Arabic and
English, on my site and published yesterday. The link is below
In this context, it must also be noted that the role of the devil’s advocate,
frequently played by Lebanese journalists—especially Christian ones—on radio and
television during interviews, is a shameful, servile, and pathological
phenomenon. This diseased media role is a leftover of the moral depravity and
cultural terrorism of the Syrian occupation, which was further worsened under
the criminal Iranian occupation through its Lebanese mercenaries known as
Hezbollah.
In the free world, especially in the West, such a pathological media phenomenon
does not exist. When anyone is invited to speak, they are given complete freedom
to express their opinions without intimidation or interruption.
In conclusion, this servile media behavior is often embedded in the subconscious
of many journalists and is practiced accordingly, except in cases where it is
imposed on them by the owners of media outlets."
Colonel Charbel Barakat: "Will Hezbollah Be Tried for
Its Crimes?"
Summarized and translated freely from Arabic by Elias Bejjani, LCCC publisher &
Editor.
October 04/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/135210/
Colonel Charbel Barakat, a prominent Lebanese military expert, historian, and
vocal critic of Hezbollah, the Iranian Mullah regime, and jihadists, strongly
called for judicial trials against the leaders of Hezbollah and their Lebanese
Iscariot collaborators. In his Arabic editorial titled "Will Hezbollah Be Tried
for Its Crimes?", he opened with a stern reminder about the critical discussions
taking place globally regarding the fate of Iran’s proxy forces following the
collapse of the Iranian Mullah regime. He emphasized that "Hezbollah leaders,
including those killed by Israel like Hassan Nasrallah, must be held accountable
for treason, their crimes against the Lebanese people, and for declaring war on
Israel without the approval of Lebanese authorities, including the parliament."
Barakat highlighted that Hezbollah has not only waged war on Lebanon’s neighbors
but has also become an occupying force within Lebanon itself since 2000. He
said, "Since the Syrian occupier was forced to leave Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah
has filled the vacuum, effectively occupying the country. This terrorist
organization is nothing but an armed proxy for Iran, and nothing about it is
Lebanese. The Lebanese members of this mafia-like organization are mere
mercenaries serving the Iranian Mullahs' agenda."
He stressed the destruction Hezbollah has wrought on Lebanon, targeting its
sovereignty, economy, and democratic freedoms. "Hezbollah has not only hijacked
the state but has also killed political leaders, silenced journalists, and
spread fear among the population. It uses drugs, corruption, and violence to
grip the country, forcing people into submission."
Barakat reminded the world that Hezbollah’s war on Israel, which began without
provocation or approval from the Lebanese government, displaced almost one third
of Lebanon's population. He stated, "Despite Israel’s continued attempts at
peace, Hezbollah insisted on provocation, leading to devastating consequences
for Lebanon. Now, after Israel retaliated and dealt a severe blow to Hezbollah’s
leadership and infrastructure, the group continues to cling to its agenda of
violence."
He further emphasized that Lebanon's sovereignty and freedom will remain elusive
unless Hezbollah is dismantled, disarmed, and international resolutions are
enforced. He said, "Lebanon will never reclaim its freedom, independence, and
sovereignty unless Hezbollah is disarmed and the UN resolutions, particularly
UNSCR 1559 and 1701, are fully implemented through force, under the authority of
Article 7 of the UN Charter." Barakat left no room for doubt: "Hezbollah is the
primary obstacle to Lebanon’s liberation, and its presence must be dismantled by
any means necessary."
Barakat also stressed the need to hold Lebanese politicians accountable for
their collaboration with Hezbollah. He called for judicial trials not only for
Hezbollah’s leaders but also for the Lebanese politicians who have facilitated
its hegemony, terrorism, and crimes. He stated, "Lebanese officials who have
allied with Hezbollah and supported its crimes, occupation, corruption, wars,
assassinations, and the destruction of the country must be held accountable.
They have betrayed Lebanon’s constitution and people for personal gain."
He reminded the world of the suffering endured by the Lebanese people at the
hands of Hezbollah and its allies. He said, "From the citizens of the south, who
defended Lebanon with honor only to be displaced and threatened, to the
political leaders assassinated, including Rafik Hariri, and to the victims of
the Beirut port explosion—Hezbollah’s crimes have touched every part of
Lebanon."
Barakat concluded with a powerful call for international intervention. "The free
world and any remaining sense of conscience must step in. The Lebanese people
cannot free themselves while being held hostage by Hezbollah’s armed occupation.
We call on the international community to enforce justice and hold this
terrorist organization and its collaborators accountable for their atrocities."
He asserted that without justice, there can be no future for Lebanon. "There is
no future for a free Lebanon unless Hezbollah is dismantled, disarmed, and
brought to justice. This is not only a Lebanese issue; it is a moral imperative
for the international community. The time for action is now."
He assered that without justice, there can be no future for Lebanon. "There is
no future for a free Lebanon unless Hezbollah is dismantled, disarmed, and
brought to justice. This is not only a Lebanese issue; it is a moral imperative
for the international community. The time for action is now."
Colonel Charbel Barakat, ended his piece by addressing the Lebanese officials,
politicians, and clergy—whom he called the Iscariots for allying with and
supporting the terrorist Hezbollah for personal gain—said: "Surely, the God who
often grants respite will never forget these Lebanese Iscariots. Without a
doubt, no matter what faction they belong to, they have closed their eyes to the
fate of this sacred land, this cradle of freedom, which they wickedly sold for a
pittance in exchange for fleeting gains. And oh, how they hoped to enjoy those
gains! But this time, they will not. The hand of the Almighty will reach them,
and the curse of the land of the Holy Cedars will pursue them to their final
resting place."
Israeli Military Says it Has Killed 250 Hezbollah
Fighters in Ground Operation
Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2024
The Israeli military estimates it has killed around 250 Hezbollah fighters,
including a number of battalion and company commanders, since the start of its
ground operation in Lebanon earlier this week, a military spokesperson said on
Friday, Reuters reported. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the military
was still assessing the damage caused by airstrikes in southern Beirut on
Thursday night, which he said targeted Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.
Hezbollah has not publicly provided any death toll. The southern suburb of
Dahiye came under renewed strikes near midnight on Thursday after Israel ordered
people to leave their homes in some areas, residents and security sources
said.The air raids targeted Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, rumored
successor to its assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah, in an underground bunker,
Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on X, citing three Israeli officials.
Safieddine's fate was not clear, he said.
UN: Most of Lebanon's Displacement Shelters are Full
Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2024
UN officials said on Friday most of Lebanon's nearly 900 shelters were full and
that people fleeing Israeli military strikes were increasingly sleeping out in
the open in streets or in public parks. "Most of the
nearly 900 government established collective shelters in Lebanon have no more
capacity," the UN refugee agency's Rula Amin told a Geneva press briefing. She
said that they were working with local authorities to find more sites and that
some hotels were opening their doors. "People are
sleeping in public parks, on the street, the beach," said Mathieu Luciano, the
International Organization For Migration's office head in Lebanon. He confirmed
that most shelters were full, including those in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, but
said some others had space. He voiced concern about
the fate of tens of thousands of mostly female live-in domestic workers in
Lebanon whom he said were being "abandoned" by their employers. "They face very
limited shelter options," he said, adding that many of them came from Egypt,
Sudan and Sri Lanka. Lebanese authorities say more
than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced and nearly 2,000 people killed
since the start of Israeli conflict with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group
over the last year, most of them over the past two weeks.
On Friday, Israeli strikes sealed off Lebanon's main border crossing with
Syria, blocking the way for vehicles, although the UNHCR's Amin said that some
were crossing on foot. "We could see that some people
were walking, desperate to flee Lebanon, and so they walked actually through
that destroyed road," she said.
Lebanon Receives First UN Aid Plane since Israel's War
Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2024
A delivery of medical supplies from the United Nations reached Lebanon on
Friday, a first since last week's Israeli war on Lebanon, said a UN agency and a
Lebanese minister. "An airlift... landed in Beirut earlier this morning with 30
metric tonnes of trauma and surgical supplies, enough to treat tens of thousands
people," the World Health Organization's regional director Hanan Balkhy said on
social media platform X. "More flights are arriving later today and tomorrow,
carrying trauma supplies, cholera supplies and mental health supplies," she
added, AFP reported.
Rapidly escalating Israeli strikes since September 23 on Lebanon have killed
more than 1,100 people in and wounded hundreds more, according to an AFP tally
of official figures. Lebanese authorities said the
violence has also displaced more than one million people from their homes in the
tiny Mediterranean country, already mired in economic and political crises.
Health Minister Firass Abiad was at the Beirut airport on Friday to
receive the aid organized by the World Health Organization and UN refugee agency
UNHCR and funded by the United Arab Emirates. "We are receiving the first
shipment out of many," he said. The shipment included
"many trauma kits that will be crucial to support the hospitals as they receive
the casualties from the Israeli attacks on Lebanon," he added.
Hezbollah Refutes Claims that Nasrallah Was Buried 'in a
Secret Location’
Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2024
Lebanon’s Hezbollah group denied reports on Friday that the party’s leader,
Hassan Nasrallah, was temporarily buried in a secret place. In a statement to
Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, a Hezbollah source described as
“rumors” the allegations that the party's Secretary-General was “temporarily
buried” due to the difficulty of holding a public funeral because of "Israeli
threats”. The source confirmed that no decision has yet been made regarding the
date and location of the burial. Earlier, the Agence France Presse quoted what
it said was a “Hezbollah” source as saying that Nasrallah has been temporarily
buried in a secret location fearing Israel would target a large funeral.
It said the move was taken until the circumstances allowed for a public
funeral. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike
in a southern suburb of Beirut last week. Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the killing of Nasrallah was a
“historic turning point”. On 23 September 2024, Israel began a series of
airstrikes in Lebanon as part of the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict. Since
then, Israel's attacks have killed over 800 people, injured more than 5,000, and
displaced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians.
The attacks are the deadliest in Lebanon since the end of the Lebanese Civil
War.
Israeli air force destroys 3.5 km. Lebanon-Syria
Hezbollah smuggling tunnel
Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
The tunnel was operated by Hezbollah’s 4400 Unit, which is responsible for the
transportation of weaponry from Iran to Lebanon. Israel Air Force fighter jets
struck a 3.5-kilometer-long underground tunnel on Thursday, which crossed from
Lebanon into Syria and was used for smuggling and storing large quantities of
weapons, the IDF reported the following day. According to the IDF, the tunnel
was operated by Hezbollah's 4400 Unit, which is responsible for the
transportation of weaponry from Iran to Hezbollah. The IAF strike on the tunnel
was conducted according to intelligence provided by the IDF Intelligence
Directorate and succeeded in destroying terror infrastructure and weapons
storage facilities, the military stated. Additionally, Hezbollah infrastructure
in the vicinity of the Masnaa border crossing between Syria and Lebanon was also
reportedly targeted. "These strikes join the elimination of the commander of the
4400 Unit, the terrorist Mohammed Jaafar Katzir, earlier this week," the IDF
stated, adding that the military would continue to strike at terror
infrastructure and weapons smuggling efforts that could harm Israeli civilians
or soldiers.
Since start of ground op. in Lebanon: IDF attacks 2,000
targets, Hezbollah fires over 550 rockets
Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
Approximately 250 terrorists have been killed from the ground and air in
Lebanon, and over 2,000 Hezbollah military targets have been attacked.
Approximately 250 terrorists have been killed from the ground and air in Lebanon
since the beginning of the limited IDF ground operation in Lebanon on Monday,
the IDF reported Friday evening. Over 2,000 Hezbollah military targets have been
attacked, including terrorists, terror infrastructure, military buildings,
weapon storage sites, rocket launchers, and more. In total, Hezbollah has
launched over 550 rockets and missiles into Israel since Monday, according to a
compilation of IDF reports. Hezbollah had launched over 100 rockets from Lebanon
into Israel by 3 p.m., the IDF reported on Friday. Ground operations in Lebanon
Division 98 forces were the first to begin the ground operation, followed by
Division 36. The soldiers operate in brigade-level attacks, with approximately
1000 soldiers operating in Lebanon. They combine air operations alongside tanks
and artillery.
During the operations, troops killed terrorists in buildings and locations near
the border and identified and destroyed stored weapons, ready-to-launch rocket
launchers, and explosives left behind by Hezbollah. Air force units have focused
on preemptive strikes on Hezbollah targets in raids, and have operated in
reconnaissance missions as well.
IDF strikes Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut as
rockets rain on Israel's North
Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
On Friday evening, nearly 200 rockets were seen crossing from Lebanon into
Israeli territory as of 8 p.m. The Israel Air Force struck several weapons
storage facilities, command centers, and additional terrorist infrastructure in
the area of Beirut throughout the day on Friday, the IDF reported Friday
evening. Additionally, the IAF struck Hezbollah intelligence targets in Beirut,
including Hezbollah intelligence operatives, intelligence collection tools,
command centers, and additional infrastructure. Additionally, based on the
direction of the Northern Command, the IAF struck dozens of Hezbollah targets
throughout southern Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities, terrorist
cells, missile launchers, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites. Late
Friday evening, the IAF intercepted two suspicious aerial targets crossing from
Lebanon. No infrastructure was damaged or harmed, and no individuals were
reported harmed in this incident. Hezbollah fires rockets and missiles at
Israel. Following the sirens that sounded at 6:28 p.m. in the area of Sassa,
approximately ten rockets were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel.
Some were intercepted, and the rest crashed in open areas. No injuries were
reported during this barrage. Sirens previously sounded at 6:12 p.m. in the area
of Avivim, at 6:06 p.m. in the area of Mitzpe Pe'er, and at 6:03 p.m. in the
area of Kiryat Shmona. In the later barrage, approximately 25 rockets were seen
crossing from Lebanese territory into Israel. In the earlier barrage toward
Avivim, 20 rockets were seen crossing Lebanon into Israel. In the barrage toward
Kiryat Shmona, approximately 15 rockets were seen crossing into Israeli
territory from Lebanon. In all of these barrages, some rockets were intercepted,
and the rest exploded in open areas.
Golani Brigade seizes weapons, eliminate Hezbollah
terrorists in Lebanon ground op.
Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
The IDF stated that these soldiers destroyed weapons and terrorist
infrastructure and eliminated terrorists both in combat and with assistance from
the Israel Air Force. Combat teams from the Golani
Brigade, under the command of Division 36, engaged in the ongoing ground
operations in southern Lebanon over the past day, the military said on Thursday.
The IDF stated that these soldiers destroyed weapons and terrorist
infrastructure and eliminated terrorists both in combat and with assistance from
the Israel Air Force (IAF). In one such joint
operation that involved the Golani Brigade and the IAF, the soldiers targeted a
military structure housing Hezbollah commanders, including the local commander,
the engineering forces commander, and the commander charged with firing rockets.
As a result, the Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated, the IDF said.
Additionally, in another strike, the soldiers detected suspicious movements
within a military structure. As such, they detected aircraft, and not long
after, the structure was attacked, and the terrorists within were neutralized.
In another raid, IDF soldiers located and seized weapons and other
terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including firearms and
surveillance equipment, the military noted in their report.
Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut and cut
off a key crossing into Syria
Bassem Mroue/ The Associated Press/October 4, 2024
BEIRUT (AP) — Israel carried out a series of massive airstrikes overnight in
southern suburbs of Beirut and another that cut off the main border crossing
between Lebanon and Syria, a main crossing point for tens of thousands of people
fleeing Israeli bombardment.
The blasts in the Beirut suburbs sent huge plumes of smoke and flames into the
night sky and shook buildings kilometers (miles) away in the Lebanese capital.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on what the intended target
was, and there was no information immediately available on casualties. Lebanon’s
state-run National News Agency reported there were more than 10 consecutive
airstrikes in the area. The Israeli military said Friday that a strike in Beirut
the day before killed Mohammed Rashid Skafi, the head of Hezbollah’s
communications division. The military said in a statement that Skafi was “a
senior Hezbollah terrorist who was responsible for the communications unit since
2000” and was “closely affiliated” with high-up Hezbollah officials. Friday's
strike about 60 kilometers (37 miles) to the east along the Lebanon-Syria border
led to the closure of the road near the busy Masnaa Border Crossing.
Associated Press video footage showed two huge craters on each side of the road.
People disembarked cars unable to pass the site of the strike, carrying bags of
their possessions as they crossed on foot. Tens of thousands of people fleeing
war in Lebanon have crossed into Syria over the past two weeks there.
The airstrike came a day after an Israeli military spokesperson said Hezbollah
has been trying to transport military equipment through the border crossing.
Hezbollah is believed to have received much of its weaponry from Iran via Syria.
The group has a presence on both sides of the border, a region where it has been
fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces. The new wave of
strikes came after Israel warned people to evacuate communities in southern
Lebanon that are outside a United Nations-declared buffer zone, as the yearlong
conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah escalates.
Israel launched a ground incursion into Lebanon on Tuesday and its forces have
been clashing with Hezbollah militants in a narrow strip along the border. A
series of attacks before the incursion killed some of the group's key members,
including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas
Araghchi, arrived Friday in Beirut, where he was expected to discuss the war
between Israel and Hezbollah with Lebanese officials.
Araghchi’s visit to Beirut came three days after Iran launched at least 180
missiles into Israel, the latest in a series of rapidly escalating attacks that
threaten to push the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. Iran is Hezbollah’s
main backer and has sent weapons and billions of dollars to the group over the
years. In the Iranian capital, Tehran, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei led Friday prayers and delivered a speech where he praised the
country’s recent missile strike on Israel and said Iran was prepared to conduct
more strikes if needed.
He spoke to thousands of people at the capital’s main prayer site, the Mosalla
mosque, which was decorated with a huge Palestinian flag.
Friday's strike at the border crossing was the first time this major border
crossing has been cut since the beginning of the war. Lebanese General Security
recorded 256,614 Syrian citizens and 82,264 Lebanese citizens crossing into
Syrian territory between Sept. 23 — when the Israel launched a heavy bombardment
of southern and eastern Lebanon — and Sept. 30. There are half a dozen border
crossings between the two countries and most of them remain open. Lebanon’s
minister of public works said all border crossings between Lebanon and Syria
work under the supervision of the state. Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire
across Lebanon's southern border almost daily since the day after Hamas’
cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which the militants killed 1,200
Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it
carried out a strike Thursday in Tulkarem, a militant stronghold in the occupied
West Bank, in coordination with the Shin Bet internal security service. The
Palestinian Health Ministry said 18 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a
refugee camp there. Violence has flared across the Israeli-occupied territory
since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October 2023. Tulkarem and other northern
cities have seen some of the worst violence. Israel declared war on Hamas in the
Gaza Strip in response to their Oct. 7 attack. More than 41,000 Palestinians
have since been killed in the territory, and just over half the dead have been
women and children, according to local health officials. Nearly 2,000 people
have been killed in Lebanon in that time, most of them since Sept. 23, according
to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Hezbollah and the second battle of Karbala
Aviel Schneider/Israel Today/October 04/2024
The Shiite Hezbollah is coming under pressure: The Sunnis are celebrating the
downfall of Hezbollah as a repeat of the historic defeat in Karbala.
The Shiites in the Middle East see themselves becoming the laughingstock of the
Islamic world. Earlier this week, Iran tried for the second time to inflict
heavy damage on Israel with a massive missile attack. Some 181 ballistic
missiles were fired at Israel, but no one was killed, except for a Palestinian
from Gaza, on whose head a missile fell directly. The Sunni world sees through
this charade and admires Israel’s courage and tactical initiative. The “pager”
attack in Lebanon killed 54 high-ranking Hezbollah terrorists and rendered
thousands unfit for combat. The Iranian missiles caused no significant damage.
This could be dangerous and might drive the Persians to madness to avoid losing
their honor.
The Shiite terrorist militia Hezbollah is concerned about the reactions of the
Sunni world, which is celebrating their lack of success and sees the war with
Israel as a “second battle of Karbala,” in which the Shiites suffered a major
defeat. The journalist Ibrahim al-Amin, a mouthpiece for Hassan Nasrallah,
defends Hezbollah and promises victory over Israel. Hezbollah and the Shiites
sense an impending defeat and are mobilizing their best spokespeople in the
media to defend the Shiite idea and honor within Islam. The Sunnis see a unique
opportunity to end Iran’s power play and its threats. This is what the Shiites
and Hezbollah fear. And those who helped the Sunnis in this case, or in the
so-called “second battle of Karbala,” were the Jews. This makes the situation
even worse, and this sentiment was reiterated by the second Iranian missile
attack on Israel.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, also a mouthpiece for Hezbollah, published the
headline the day before yesterday: “There will be no second battle of Karbala.”
In the Battle of Karbala, which took place in 680 AD near the central Iraqi city
of Karbala, the Mohammed’s grandson Hussein was killed. It was a power struggle
over the succession of the Prophet. With this battle, the Shiites’ hope of
placing their third Imam as the second Umayyad caliph, as the head of the
Islamic community in place of Yazid I, failed. The battle ended with the victory
of Yazid’s followers and a massacre of Hussein’s supporters—ultimately leading
to the split between Shia and Sunni Muslims. The Battle of Karbala stands in
post-Shiite Islamic history as symbolic of the struggle between “good and evil”
and is regarded as one of the most tragic events for the Shiites. Since then,
the date of the battle has been known as “Ashura” and became a central day in
the Shiite faith. What Hezbollah is experiencing in Lebanon in the war against
Israel is today compared and celebrated by many in Sunni Islam to the historical
Shiite defeat in the Battle of Karbala. This is what the Shiites, Iran, and
Hezbollah fear.
Hezbollah is mobilizing its best spokespeople to save face. Ibrahim al-Amin, who
was a close confidant of Nasrallah, published an article in Al-Akhbar this week
rejecting the claim that the current war is a repetition of the historical
Battle of Karbala. Although Nasrallah had died as a “martyr,” his situation was
fundamentally different from that of Hussein, the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson.
The Muslim world had betrayed Nasrallah, despite his advocacy for the
Palestinian cause and the support he had provided to Gaza through the resistance
he built over the last 40 years. “Hassan Nasrallah has become an eternal symbol
for all revolutionaries,” al-Amin emphasized. “He was killed while defending
Jerusalem and Palestine. Until the last minute of his life, he was thinking
about how to fight America and Israel.”
In Syria, Sunnis celebrated Nasrallah’s death and expressed their joy over
Hezbollah’s troubles. In northern Syria, people distributed sweets and took to
the streets to celebrate the event as a turning point in the fight against
Shiite oppression. The family of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad belongs to an
Alawite offshoot of the Shiites. In Lebanon too, especially in Sunni areas,
there were demonstrations supporting Nasrallah’s removal. The nationwide
jubilation underscored the ongoing tensions between Sunnis and Shiites in the
region, particularly after the Syrian civil war in 2011 and Hezbollah’s direct
intervention alongside the Assad regime—the so-called “Shiite axis of
evil”—Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran.
In addition to Syria and Lebanon, there were also reports of celebration from
other Middle Eastern countries, such as Iraq and Jordan. There, the Sunnis see
the event as an opportunity to dramatically weaken Shiite power in the region,
particularly that of Iran and its allies like Hezbollah. The joy over
Nasrallah’s death stems from the dominant role his terrorist militia played in
the killing of many Sunni civilians over the years, which has further deepened
the Sunni-Shiite divide throughout the Middle East. Even in conversations with
Palestinians around us, most are enthusiastic about Israel’s missile defense
system. They hate the Shiites and know that the Israeli defense system also
protects them. But these are Palestinians I have personally known for years, and
I want to believe that they are telling me the truth.
Hezbollah feels threatened; it sees its existence in jeopardy. Therefore, al-Amin
appeals to the Arab and Muslim world to support the resistance in Lebanon: “We
are going through difficult days, but we are not giving up, as the enemy claims.
We must wait for the end of this battle round, not the end of the war,” writes
al-Amin. In other words, Hezbollah sees the current war as just one round in the
greater war against Israel. It plans to recover and prepare for a major
offensive against Israel later.
According to Israeli security sources, various Hezbollah spokespeople are trying
to reassure the Shiite community in Lebanon, which is very disturbed by the
elimination of Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s military leadership. The spokespeople
say that this is a long struggle, in which Hezbollah and the “axis of
resistance” will ultimately prevail, and that “strategic patience” is needed.
This is only one round of fighting, and even if Hezbollah loses this round, it
will win the next.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, tweeted this week: “Victory comes from
Allah, and salvation will come soon.” In response, I reminded that Israel knows
and believes something similar: “Victory comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, the Almighty of Israel—and it is already here.” Israel and Persia,
Israel and the Shiites are not just waging a missile war; they are primarily
waging a religious war. Both sides are quoting their scriptures, Ali Khamenei
quoting the Koran and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoting the
Bible. These two scriptures drive politics in the Middle East, and this is
something that Christian or Western nations simply no longer understand. This is
why the foreign ministers of European countries generally have no clue about
Middle Eastern politics. Perhaps a little knowledge of the Bible wouldn’t be a
bad idea for a more realistic foreign policy. From experience, I know today that
the Bible is more realistic than the Western politics of our time.
And I know something else: If the Iranian axis of evil is gone and the Shiites,
Persians, and Iranians are no longer a threat to the Sunnis in the Islamic
world, then “the Moor has done his duty.” There will then be no threat that
connects the Sunnis with Israel, which in turn could be directed against Israel.
In this sense, it was politically advantageous to maintain an axis of evil in
the Middle East to bring Israel closer to the other Arab countries. So we wonder
in this country what is realistically better for Israel. Or have the hearts of
the people, between Israelis and Sunnis, really drawn closer as a result?
A Historic Moment: Hassan Nasrallah’s Killing is a
Severe Blow to the Iran-led Axis ...Israel is Likely to Hit Back Hard against
Iran
Jonathan Spyer/Spectator/October 04/2024
The Iranian launching of 181 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night
followed a similar pattern to the attacks of April 14. Israeli and allied air
defences appear to have performed extremely effectively. The damage to the
military and civilian sites targeted is minor to non-existent. One Palestinian
Arab man was killed in a village near Jericho, not from the Iranian missiles, it
appears, but from debris from an interceptor.
I live in a Jerusalem neighbourhood on what’s called the ‘Seam Line’ between the
Jewish and Arab populations. We generally have cordial relations with our Arabic
speaking neighbours, and as I stood outside my front door last night trying to
get some pictures of the missiles flying over in the night sky, I was entirely
unsurprised to hear the honking of car horns and shouts of celebration from the
Arab houses a little further down the street. So it goes, and so far, so
predictable.
The question now is what comes next. The Israeli response following the April 14
attacks was small, and largely symbolic. President Joseph Biden at that time
advised Israel to ‘take the win’, referring to the successful mobilization of a
region-wide, US-led air defence system that was mobilized for the first time on
that night. Israel sufficed with a symbolic attack on an Iranian air defence
system, largely to prove to Teheran that it could do a lot more than that. And
there the matter was left.
This time, the response is unlikely to be merely symbolic. The reason is that,
the Middle East being what it is, if Israel again suffices with a little nudge
to Iran indicating what it could do if it really tried, this is likely to be
interpreted as hesitation, and hence weakness. It will transmit to the Iranians
that they can now see it as part of the rules of the game that every time Israel
takes major action against an Iranian proxy in the context of the current war,
(such as the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh or the killing of
Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah), or makes a move against an Iranian official,
a massive Iranian missile response must be factored in.
This is not a ‘norm’ that Israel can accept. Hence, it must seek now to signal
to Iran that such aggression will be met with a determined, escalatory response.
Such a response is now likely. The natural next question is what form might that
take? What assets does Israel have to hand, which could deliver the appropriate
message to Iran, and what are the Iranian vulnerabilities which might be
exploited?
In terms of the assets which Israel could bring to bear, there are two
immediately apparent instruments which Israel possesses which can be mobilized.
The first is Israeli air superiority. Israel’s raid on the Hodaidah and Ras Isa
ports in Yemen last week was the latest demonstration that the Israel Air Force
is able to effectively project power to distances which bring targets within
Iran to well within its range. This was also demonstrated, of course, in the
pinpointed response to the attacks in April. Israel’s F15, F16 and F35 fighter
jets, together with its refueling planes, have the capacity to reach any target
in Iran.
Nor does a response using air power need to be limited to the realm of piloted
aircraft, with the attendant possible dangers to personnel. Israel is a pioneer
and a world leader in the use of drones. Its Heron TP, Hermes 900 and Shoval
systems could all if desired be employed against targets in Iran.
Its also worth noting that while Israel’s missile defence systems are better
known, Jerusalem also, in the Jericho 3 system possesses a ballistic missile
capacity of its own, also capable of reaching Iran.
Regarding the second set of available instruments: ample evidence exists to
suggest that Israel possesses an irregular capacity on Iranian soil, which is
available for activation when needed. It is almost certain that this capacity
includes the involvement of Iranian citizens. The regime in Teheran is not
popular, and finding individuals willing to work against it isn’t difficult,
though of course details in this regard are elusive.
The existence of this Israeli capability is apparent mainly from the results:
sudden deaths suffered by scientists and officials involved with Teheran’s
nuclear programs, mysterious explosions and power outages, theft of materials
and so on. If needed, it could presumably be engaged as an element in the
current war. In this regard, it’s worth noting that while this capacity has most
notably been used in recent years against people involved with the nuclear
program, it could also theoretically be used against other Iranian officials and
individuals associated with the regime.
What are Israel’s potential targets, should it choose to respond? Of course,
facilities related to the Iranian nuclear program should be noted here, but it
is more likely in the current stage that Israel would focus on strategic targets
essential to the functioning of the Iranian economy. The oil sector would be one
vulnerable area in this regard. The oil terminal on Kharg Island and the Bandar
Abbas port would be two sites that may well appear in Israel’s target bank
related to this sector and to Iran’s vulnerability regarding its export
capacity. The key need deriving from the October 1 attacks is for a shift in
perception with regard to the current situation in the Middle East. The
competition between the Iran-led regional bloc on the one side, and Israel and
its western and pro-western allied countries on the other has long dominated
strategic affairs in the region. For the last two decades, this contest has
largely been played out through feints, the use of proxies, clandestine and
intelligence warfare, and diplomatic stratagems. That chapter in this long and
historic battle of will now appears to be drawing to a close. A phase of open
confrontation looks set to take its place.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on October 04-05/2024
Biden says if in Israel's
shoes he would consider alternatives to striking Iranian oil facilities
Reuters/October 04/2024
Updated: OCTOBER 4, 2024 22:1 President Joe Biden said on Friday he would think
about alternatives to striking Iranian oil fields if he were in Israel's shoes,
adding he thinks Israel has not yet concluded how to respond to Iran.
"The Israelis have not concluded what they are going to do in terms of a strike.
That's under discussion," Biden said in remarks to reporters at a White House
press briefing. "If I were in their shoes, I'd be thinking about other
alternatives than striking oilfields," the president added. Tensions between
Iran and Israel have been high as Israel has been weighing options to respond to
Tehran's ballistic missile attack on Tuesday, which Iran had carried out in
response to Israel's military action in Lebanon. Biden was also asked if he
thought that by not engaging in diplomacy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu was trying to influence the Nov. 5 US election in which Republican
former President Donald Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
"Whether he is trying to influence the election, I don't know, but I am not
counting on that," Biden said in response. "No administration has done more to
help Israel than I have."The latest bloodshed in the decades-old
Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered by Palestinian Hamas terrorists' Oct.
7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 and in which about 250 were taken hostage.
Transition of power. Biden also said that he is confident that the upcoming
presidential election will be fairly conducted, but he warned that Republican
candidate Donald Trump and his running mate could refuse to accept the outcome.
"I'm confident it will be free and fair. I don't know whether it will be
peaceful. The things that Trump has said, and the things that he said last time
out when he didn't like the outcome of the election, were very dangerous," Biden
said. Biden said it was notable that Trump's running mate, US Senator JD Vance,
would not confirm during this week's vice presidential debate that he would
accept the outcome of the vote in the Nov. 5 election. Trump is running against
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president in a tight race that will
come down to a handful of battleground states. The Trump campaign did not
immediately respond to requests for comment.
Parting shot: Borrell accuses Israel of exacerbating
conflict, intentionally withholding aid
Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
Borrel has been a persistent critic of Israel throughout his term, but in
particular in the year since the October 7 massacre. Josep Borrell, High
Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for exacerbating the
conflict and intentionally withholding aid from Gaza in an interview with
Spanish radio on Friday. Borrell shared his concerns with Onda Cero over the
intensity of any Israeli response to the Iranian attack on Israel last Tuesday.
He emphasized that Israel is only able to achieve military superiority thanks to
the support it receives from the West. He warned that an Israeli strike on
Iranian nuclear facilities was sure to lead to a response that could spiral the
region into regional or even global war if other actors, such as Russia and
China, become involved. Borrel then accused Netanyahu of wanting to start a war,
"Netanyahu wants a conflict, and he wants to start it from a position of
strength." He criticized Israeli restrictions on the entry of goods into Gaza,
saying that Israel does not allow humanitarian aid to enter. He accused Israel
of leaving warehouses of food to rot, "I have seen warehouses and warehouses of
humanitarian aid piled up, rotting, that cannot enter when on the other side of
the fence there are two million people who are dying of hunger or diseases."
Borrel has been a persistent critic of Israel throughout his term, but in
particular in the year since the October 7 massacre.
Changing administration
His term has nearly expired, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will
replace him in December as part of the European Commission's regular leadership
change. Kallas's appointment is mostly due to her strong pro-Ukraine stance,
calling for increased support for the country in its war with Russia. She has
cited Israel's successful military maneuvers and air defenses as proof that with
Western support, Ukraine can achieve more success on the battlefield. Several EU
commentators noted that Kallas's relative neutrality on issues outside Europe
would return a sense of balance to EU foreign policy, which, under Borrell, has
been criticized as "one-sided and ideological." Kallas has previously supported
Israel's right to self-defense and denounced Hamas while also calling for a
two-state solution and a ceasefire.
Israeli bombardment kills 29 people in Gaza, militants
renew rocket fire into Israel
Reuters/October 4, 2024
Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 29 Palestinians
on Friday, medics said, and sirens blared in southern Israel in response to
renewed rocket fire from militants in the Palestinian enclave. The new rocket
salvoes indicated that Hamas-led militant factions in Gaza are still able to
fire projectiles into Israel despite a year-long Israeli aerial and ground
offensive that has turned wide areas of the enclave into wasteland. On Friday,
the Israeli military said sirens sounded in southern Israel for the first time
in around two months. "Almost a year after Oct. 7, Hamas is still threatening
our civilians with their terrorism and we will continue operating against them,"
it added, referring to the anniversary of Hamas' cross-border attack that
touched off the Gaza war.
Did Iran fall into Israel’s trap?
Aviel Schneider/Israel Today/October 04/2024
It is quite possible that Tehran played into Israel’s hands and thereby gave
Jerusalem a unique opportunity to exact a high price from the ayatollah regime.
Israel has a unique opportunity to significantly reduce the nuclear threat posed
by Iran. By eliminating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel has not only
lost its fear of an attack but also weakened Iran’s influence, including its
proxies in Lebanon and Hamas in the south. If Israel can find the means and the
courage to successfully bomb Iranian nuclear or oil facilities, it could free
the world from the threat of an Iranian nuclear arsenal. The Sunni governments
surrounding Israel, particularly the Saudi kingdom, are reportedly standing
behind Israel in this endeavor. Targeted attacks on Iran’s oil facilities would
severely impact an already struggling Iranian economy. Washington fears that oil
prices will rise globally. Israel must act without regard for Western opinion.
Following the killing of Hassan Nasrallah and Israeli strikes on Iranian
targets, Tehran felt compelled to act. However, much like with Nasrallah, Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may have underestimated Israel’s intentions this
time. Despite various concerns, the Iranian leader decided on a direct...
Iraqi drone kills two IDF soldiers, wounds several
others
Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
Mixed reports by Israeli media state that up to 21 soldiers were lightly wounded
in the same drone attack. Sergeant Daniel Aviv Haim Sofer, 19, and Corporal Tal
Dror, 19, were killed in a drone attack from Iraq in northern Israel on
Thursday, the IDF announced Friday evening. Sgt. Haim Sofer, from Ashkelon, was
a cadet in a specialized communications officer course in Battalion 13 in the
Golani Brigade. Cpl. Dror, from Jerusalem, was a communications soldier in the
13th Battalion in the Golani Brigade. In the incident where the two soldiers
fell, an additional soldier and a non-commissioned officer from the 13th
Battalion were severely wounded and were evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
There are additional reports by Israeli media claiming that up to 21 soldiers
were lightly wounded in the same drone attack. A day earlier, the IDF announced
that Captain Ben Zion Pelach, 21, from Nitzanei Oz, fell in battle in southern
Lebanon. Pelach was a soldier in Battalion 202 of the Paratroopers Brigade. The
IDF began its invasion of Lebanon on Tuesday following a year of back-and-forth
rockets and missiles between Israel and Hezbollah.
IDF rescues Yazidi woman enslaved by ISIS in Iraq and sold to Gazan
Israel Today/October 04/2024
Fawzi Amin Sido, taken captive in 2014 at the age of 11, was freed this week and
returned to her family. After a decade of slavery, a Yazidi woman ISIS
terrorists kidnapped in Iraq and trafficked to a terrorist in the Gaza Strip was
rescued in an operation spearheaded by the Israel Defense Forces. Fawzi Amin
Sido, taken captive in 2014 at the age of 11, was freed this week and returned
to her family in Iraq. The Palestinian terrorist who had been holding her was
recently killed, allowing her to flee and eventually be rescued, the IDF said.
“The young girl was extracted from the Gaza Strip in recent days in a secret
operation through the Kerem Shalom Crossing. After entering Israel, she was
taken to Jordan via the Allenby Crossing and then on to her family in Iraq,” the
army said. The incident proves the “connection between Hamas and the Islamic
State and [is] further evidence of the crimes against humanity carried out by
the terror group in Gaza,” the IDF said. “The IDF will continue to act at all
times to destroy the infrastructure of the terrorist organization Hamas-ISIS,
and to return the abductees,” it continued.
IDF kills Palestinian who lynched soldiers near Ramallah in 2000
Israel Today/October 04/2024
Aziz Salha, among those who murdered Israeli reservists Vadim Norzhic and Yosef
Avrahami, was released as part of the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange deal. An Israel
Defense Forces strike in the Gaza Strip on Thursday killed Aziz Salha, who
gained global notoriety for a video of him lynching two Israeli soldiers in
Ramallah’s twin city of el-Bireh on Oct. 12, 2000. The images of Salha standing
at a window in the Palestinian Authority’s el-Bireh police station, waving his
blood-soaked hands in front of a Palestinian mob during the early days of the
Second Intifada, became etched into the collective Israeli psyche, and for many
remains a direct consequence of the Oslo Accords. IDF Cpl. (res.) Vadim Norzhic,
33, a truckdriver from Or Akiva who had made aliyah from Irkutsk 10 years
earlier, and Sgt. First Class (res.) Yosef Avrahami, 38, a toy salesman from
Petach Tikvah, were pulled from their vehicle and beaten and stabbed to death,
and then mutilated, after accidentally entering the Palestinian
Authority-controlled city of Ramallah, located in the Judaean Mountains some 10
km. north of Jerusalem. Salha, 43, was arrested a year later but was among the
1,027 Palestinian terrorists released from Israeli jails as part of the 2011
deal to free IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity in Gaza. Salha was
targeted in an airstrike in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, the military said. “In
recent years he was involved in directing terrorist activity in Judea and
Samaria and continued to engage in terrorist activity even in these past days,”
the IDF said. With reporting by JNS.
IDF jets conduct strike in Tulkarm, eliminate Hamas
commander responsible for West Bank car bombing
Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
The strike targeted Hamas commander Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who led the
Hamas network in Tulkarm.
The Israel Air Force (IAF) conducted a strike in Tulkarm as part of a joint IDF
and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) operational against Hamas activity in the
West Bank, they announced late Thursday. The strike targeted Hamas commander
Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who led the Hamas network in Tulkarm, the IDF
announced on Thursday night. Hamas confirmed his death on Friday night.Earlier
reports said the strike targeted the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Tulkarm Battalion, Ayyth Radwan. However, he is still being reported as killed
in the strike by Israeli media, and the IDF confirmed other terrorists had been
killed. At least 20 Palestinians were killed in the strike, according to the
Palestinian health ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent. The IDF announced
it had killed at least seven terrorists in the strike.
The strike targeted a cafe in the Al-Hamam neighborhood in the east of the town.
Fatah officials announced that there would be a general strike in Tulkarm on
Friday in protest of the strike. The IDF revealed that
Oufi planned and led the attempted car-bombing attack in Ateret in September.
Oufi supplied weaponry to a large number of terrorists in the area, planning and
leading a significant amount of additional terror attacks in the West Bank. The
IDF said he was planning to execute a terror attack soon, leading to the express
need to eliminate him. Several other terrorists were
eliminated in the strike, but the IDF did not confirm any other deaths. The
Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as escalatory and accused Israel
of intentionally obstructing international efforts for peace.
IDF troops operated in Tulkarm in early September, attempting to root out
armed groups in the city. Reuters contributed to this
report.
US and Britain launch airstrikes by fighter jets and ships on Yemen's
Iran-backed Houthi rebels
Lolita C. Baldor/WASHINGTON (AP)/October 4, 2024
The U.S. and British militaries struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen
on Friday, going after weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to
the Iranian-backed rebels, U.S. officials confirmed. Military aircraft and
warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations, according to the
officials. Houthi media said seven strikes hit the airport in Hodeida, a major
port city, and the Katheib area, which has a Houthi-controlled military base.
Four more strikes hit the Seiyana area in Sanaa, the capital, and two strikes
hit the Dhamar province. The Houthi media office also reported three air raids
in Bayda province, southeast of Sanaa. The strikes come just days after the
Houthis threatened “escalating military operations” targeting Israel after they
apparently shot down a U.S. military drone flying over Yemen. And just last
week, the group claimed responsibility for an attack targeting American
warships.The rebels fired more than a half dozen ballistic missiles and
anti-ship cruise missiles and two drones at three U.S. ships that were traveling
through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but all were intercepted by the Navy
destroyers, according to several U.S. officials.The officials spoke on condition
of anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly released. Houthis have targeted
more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas
war in Gaza started last October. They have seized one vessel and sunk two in
the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have
either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to
reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels. The group has
maintained that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the United
Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However,
many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict,
including some bound for Iran.
American airstrikes launched on Yemen's Sanaa and
Hodeidah
Reuters/October 04/2024
Al Masirah TV reported that US and British forces carried out the strikes, but a
British government source said Britain was not involved. The US military said it
carried out 15 strikes on Friday against targets linked to Iran-aligned Houthi
fighters in Yemen, where residents reported blasts at military outposts and even
an airport. Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said
the targets were tied to Houthi offensive military capabilities but did not
detail whether that included missile, drone, or radar capabilities. In a post on
X, Central Command said the strikes occurred at about 1400 GMT. CENTCOM's
announcement comes after Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by
the Houthi movement controlling much of Yemen, reported strikes in Sanaa and
Hodeidah. Strikes also targeted the south of Dhamar city and the southeast of
al-Bayda province, the channel added. Residents said that the attack on al-Bayda
province targeted several Houthi military outposts. Al Masirah TV reported that
the strikes had been carried out by the United States and British forces, but a
British government source said Britain was not involved. Iran-aligned Houthi
terrorists have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since last
November in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war with Hamas. The attacks
have drawn US and British retaliatory strikes and disrupted global trade as ship
owners reroute vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to sail the longer
route around the southern tip of Africa. Following the airstrikes, a Houthi
spokesman called the attack "a desperate attempt," adding that "Yemen will not
be deterred by these attacks and will continue its steadfastness in confronting
the enemies
Israeli Bombardment Kills 29 People in Gaza, Rockets
Fired into Israel
Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2024
Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 29 Palestinians
on Friday, medics said, and sirens blared in southern Israel in response to
renewed rocket fire from fighters in the Palestinian enclave. The new rocket
salvoes indicated that Hamas-led armed factions in Gaza are still able to fire
projectiles into Israel despite a year-long Israeli aerial and ground offensive
that has turned wide areas of the enclave into wasteland. On Friday, the Israeli
military said sirens sounded in southern Israel for the first time in around two
months. "Almost a year after Oct. 7, Hamas is still
threatening our civilians with their terrorism and we will continue operating
against them," it added, referring to the anniversary of Hamas' cross-border
attack that touched off the Gaza war. In Gaza City in north Gaza, Palestinian
health officials said one Israeli aerial strike on a house killed at least seven
people. Four people including two women and a baby were killed in the bombing of
a home in the southern city of Khan Younis. The rest
were killed in airstrikes on several areas across the densely populated coastal
enclave. Residents said Israeli forces operating in Gaza City's Zeitoun suburb
and in Rafah, near the southern border with Egypt, blew up clusters of homes.
Israel's military says Hamas combatants use crowded, built-up residential
neighborhoods as cover. Hamas denies this. Israel media, reporting on the rocket
fire, said one rocket was intercepted by air defense and another crashed in an
open area. There were no reports of casualties or notable damage. Palestinians
in Gaza will mark the first anniversary of the war next week with little hope of
an end to the fighting in the foreseeable future, even as Israel pursues a new
ground incursion into Lebanon against Hamas' major Iranian-backed ally
Hezbollah. Hezbollah began firing rockets into
northern Israel almost a year ago in support of Hamas after the Palestinian
movement staged the deadliest assault in Israel's history on Oct. 7, 2023.
The attack, in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and over 250
taken hostage, ignited the war that has devastated Gaza, displacing most of its
2.3 million population and killing over 41,800 people, according to Gaza health
authorities. International diplomacy led by the United States has so far failed
to clinch a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Hamas wants an agreement that ends the war
while Israel says fighting can only end when Hamas is eradicated.
WHO Aims to Begin 2nd Phase of Polio Campaign in Gaza on
Oct. 14
Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2024
A World Health Organization official on Friday said the organization has sent a
request to Israel to begin the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign in
Gaza from Oct. 14. "We have asked the Israeli authorities to consider a similar
scheme that we had for the first round, something they call 'tactical pauses'
(in fighting) during the working hours of the campaign," said Ayadil Saparbekov,
WHO lead for emergencies in the occupied Palestinian territory, Reuters
reported. He said negotiations were ongoing and that a meeting with Israeli
authorities about the next phase of the campaign was planned for Sunday. The US
military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, going after
weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed
militias, US officials confirmed. Military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi
strongholds at roughly five locations, according to the officials. Houthi media
said seven strikes hit the airport in Hodeidah, a major port city, and the
Katheib area, which has a Houthi-controlled military base. Four more strikes hit
the Seiyana area in Sanaa, the capital, and two strikes hit the Dhamar province.
The Houthi media office also reported three air raids in Bayda province,
southeast of Sanaa. The strikes come just days after the Houthis threatened
“escalating military operations” targeting Israel after they apparently shot
down a US military drone flying over Yemen. And just last week, the Houthis
claimed responsibility for an attack targeting American warships.
The militias fired more than a half dozen ballistic missiles and anti-ship
cruise missiles and two drones at three US ships that were traveling through the
Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but all were intercepted by the Navy destroyers, according
to several US officials.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet
publicly released. Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with
missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza started last October.
They have seized one vessel and sunk two in the campaign that has also killed
four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led
coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included
Western military vessels. The Houthis have maintained that they target ships
linked to Israel, the US or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s
campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little
or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
Kushner has discussed US-Saudi diplomacy with Saudi
crown prince
Reuters./October 4, 2024
In a Sept. 18 speech, MbS said the kingdom would not recognize Israel without
the creation a Palestinian state, suggesting a deal may be near impossible for
the foreseeable future
Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump, has discussed
US-Saudi diplomatic negotiations involving Israel with Saudi Arabia’s Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman multiple times since leaving the Trump White House,
said a source familiar with the discussions.
The source did not identify when the talks took place and whether they occurred
before or after the start of the Gaza conflict. But they included discussions on
the process of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key
diplomatic objective of both the Biden and Trump administrations, the source
said. Kushner, 43, has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which
congressional investigators say has invested $2 billion in his private equity
fund, Affinity Partners, which Kushner set up after leaving the White House. The
news that Kushner and Saudi Arabia’s de-facto leader discussed a peace accord
that US President Joe Biden also has tried to broker illustrates the importance
both Republicans and Democrats place on the increasingly unstable Middle East
amid a razor-close presidential election. The talks also signal how Trump might
manage the crisis in the region if voters return him to power – and renew
questions about whether Kushner’s financial ties with Riyadh could influence US
policy under his father-in-law.
Ethical concerns and financial investments
Saudi Arabia’s investments in Kushner’s fund have been criticized by ethics
experts, Democrats in Congress and even some Republicans, who have expressed
concern that Saudi Arabia’s stake can look like a payoff since Kushner worked on
Saudi issues before leaving Trump’s White House. In a Sept. 24 letter to
Affinity, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee,
wrote that investments by Saudi Arabia in Kushner’s fund raise “obvious
conflicts of interest concerns.”Affinity and Kushner have denied that Saudi
Arabia’s investments are a payoff or a conflict of interest. Affinity said Wyden
and his Senate staff do not understand the realities of private equity. “The
reason so many people go to Jared for his insights and his opinions is that he’s
had such a record of successes,” said a spokesperson for Kushner. The source
close to Kushner declined to provide more details of the discussions with the
crown prince, also known as “MbS, saying he did not want to violate the
friendship between the two. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to share that,”
the source said. A spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not
answer questions about Kushner’s discussions with MbS.
In a Sept. 18 speech, MbS said the kingdom would not recognize Israel without
the creation a Palestinian state, suggesting a deal may be near impossible for
the foreseeable future. That’s a shift from February when three sources told
Reuters that Saudi Arabia was willing to accept a political commitment from
Israel to create a Palestinian state, rather than anything more binding, in a
bid to get a defense pact with Washington approved before the US presidential
election.
To encourage Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel, the Biden administration has
offered Riyadh security guarantees, assistance with a civilian nuclear program
and a renewed push for a Palestinian state. The deal could reshape the Middle
East by uniting two long-time foes and binding the world's biggest oil exporter
to Washington at a time when China is making inroads in the region. But the Gaza
conflict has thrown the talks into uncertainty. The war and humanitarian crisis
have strengthened Arab and Muslim support for the Palestinians in their
decades-long conflict with Israel over land and statehood, making it difficult
for Riyadh to discuss recognizing Israel without addressing Palestinian
aspirations. The US election is also a factor as Trump, a Republican, vies with
Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in a historically tight race for the
White House. The Saudi relationship with Trump was notably close. Trump’s first
foreign trip as president in 2017 was to Riyadh, accompanied by Kushner. After
Saudi expatriate opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi
consulate in Istanbul, Trump stood by the crown prince in spite of a US
intelligence assessment that he had authorized the killing. MbS denied
involvement.
Two sources familiar with Saudi strategy said that if Trump returns to the White
House, the crown prince would welcome making a deal with Israel under his
leadership. If Harris were to win, the agreement would still move forward, the
sources said. Either way, the sources see it as a win-win for MbS, even if it
requires a few more months of patience. On Sept. 27, Israeli Prime Benjamin
Netanyahu referred to the prospect of an agreement in positive terms. “What
blessing such a peace with Saudi Arabia would bring,” he said in a speech to the
UN General Assembly. Normalizing Israeli-Saudi relations would mark an expansion
of the “Abraham Accords” sealed when Trump was in office. The accords led to the
normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain,
Morocco and Sudan. Kushner, who is close to Israel, led the negotiations as a
senior adviser in Trump’s White House. Three sources close to Kushner said that
if Trump wins November’s presidential election, they expect Kushner to be
involved in the Saudi talks, albeit in an unofficial capacity. A spokesperson
for Kushner denied that he is seeking such a role. If Kushner were to be
involved in diplomatic talks as a private citizen in a second Trump term, it
could pose a significant conflict of interest, ethics experts say, putting
Kushner in the extraordinary position of conducting government-level
negotiations with one of his major financial investors. While Kushner and his
wife, Ivanka Trump, have largely stayed away from Trump's campaign events, they
were present at the Republican National Convention in July, sitting and clapping
in the family box behind Trump.
Germany arrests teen suspected of planning terror attack
on Jews during school trip to Holland
Jerusalem Post/October 04/2024
The teenager, who reportedly shared pro-ISIS material on TikTok, was allegedly
being groomed online to carry out attacks on Jewish community centers in Europe.
Police officers secure the area of an incident, after several individuals were
killed on Friday night when a man randomly stabbed passers-by with a knife, at a
city festival in Solingen, Germany, August 24, 2024. Police officers secure the
area of an incident, after several individuals were killed on Friday night when
a man randomly stabbed passers-by with a knife, at a city festival in Solingen,
Germany, August 24, 2024. The Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office arrested a
15-year-old Turkish-German teenager for allegedly planning Islamist-style
attacks against European Jewry, Spiegel reported on Thursday. The police
reportedly classified the teenager as a “threat.”The teenager had been in
contact with Islamist terrorists online, according to Information obtained by
the German news site. The Islamist had reportedly begun grooming the teenager to
commit an attack following the stabbing spree committed by an ISIS-affiliated
Syrian asylum-seeker in Solingen in August. The Solingen attack saw three people
stabbed to death and a further eight were wounded. The terrorist group said in a
statement on its Telegram account, "He carried out the attack in revenge for
Muslims in Palestine and everywhere." Germany’s Special Task Force (SEK) stormed
the boy’s home at 9:20 a.m. on Tuesday, where they reportedly found data
evidencing the teenager’s plans. After looking at the suspect’s phone, police
reportedly found he shared pro-ISIS videos on TikTok and was encouraged online
to commit attacks on Jewish cultural communities and festivals. The attack was
allegedly planned to be carried out during an upcoming school trip to Holland.
During the operation, police arrested and released the suspect multiple times.
He was initially placed in protective custody after the Solingen attack,
according to Bild, but was released the same afternoon he was arrested. He was
later detained again on September 9, at a fitness studio. Police reportedly were
forced to overpower the suspect.
In addition to the Solingden attack, Germany has seen an uptick in violent
Islamist activity over the last few months. In September, a Syrian national was
arrested for planning a machete attack on German soldiers. Earlier this week, a
machete-armed man with a Palestinian flag wounded 31 people in a series of arson
and ramming attacks in the German city of Essen.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on October 04-05/2024
Talibanization of Bangladesh: Biden-Harris
Administration, 'Human Rights' Groups Silent
Keya Mukherjee/ Gatestone Institute./October 4, 2024
Islamist and jihadist student protesters under [Muhamad] Yunus's leadership have
established an alternative government in the country, reminiscent of Iran's
private militia, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Dozens of
individuals, including Hindus, are falling victim to mob justice, while the
perpetrators of these gruesome crimes enjoy impunity.
Notably, Muhammad Yunus is one of the major donors to the Clinton Foundation.
According to a cable leaked by Wikileaks, in 2007, Hillary Clinton made frantic
efforts and exerted pressure on the Bangladesh Army to appoint her friend Yunus
as head of the then military-backed interim government.
Since Yunus enjoys the full support of the Biden-Harris administration, as well
as Democratic Party leaders such as Barack Obama, and Bill and Hillary Clinton,
not one of the rights groups, including Amnesty International or Human Rights
Watch, has issued a statement condemning the attacks, rapes and murders in
Bangladesh.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an anti-democratic Islamist organization that advocates for
the establishment of a caliphate. It is banned in Bangladesh and several other
countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
[W]ill Bangladesh's descent into radicalism continue unchecked, or will the
international community finally confront the growing Talibanization threatening
the stability of the region?
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Muhammad Yunus is one of the major donors
to the Clinton Foundation. According to a cable leaked by Wikileaks, in 2007,
Hillary Clinton made frantic efforts and exerted pressure on the Bangladesh Army
to appoint her friend Yunus as head of the then military-backed interim
government. Pictured: Yunus speaks next to former US President Bill Clinton in
New York City on September 24, 2024. (Photo by Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty
Images)
Days after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the
country amidst protests led by Jamaat-e-Islami, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP), Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hefazat-e-Islam, and other Islamist forces, all charges
against Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated
Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)—later rebranded as Ansar Al Islam—were dropped.
Rahmani, along with dozens of imprisoned Islamists and jihadists, was released.
Shortly after his release, Rahmani appeared in a viral video, calling on West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to "free Bengal from Modi's rule and
declare its independence."
In December 2021, the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service,
through its Rewards for Justice (RFJ) office, announced a $5 million reward for
information on the terrorist attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which resulted in the
death of a U.S. citizen, Avijit Roy, and the serious injury of his wife, Rafida
Bonya Ahmed. Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), led by Jashimuddin Rahmani, claimed
responsibility for the attack. Strangely, after the release of this terrorist
leader, U.S. authorities did not issue any statement.
Immediately after the ousting of Sheikh Hasina, the so-called protesters, led by
Muhammad Yunus, chosen to lead Bangladesh's interim government, and all openly
supported by the Biden-Harris administration and the Clintons, launched violent
attacks on Hindus. These attacks included murder, rape, abduction, the
destruction of temples, and the vandalization of idols. As the Yunus
administration has been systematically denying freedom of expression, local
journalists and international human rights groups remained silent. Predictably,
journalists who raise their voices are arrested and later implicated in murder
cases. Local reporters are under constant surveillance by the cyber wings of
Jamaat-e-Islami, the BNP, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and security agencies like the
Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security
Intelligence (NSI).
Meanwhile, Islamist and jihadist student protesters under Yunus's leadership
have established an alternative government in the country, reminiscent of Iran's
private militia, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC. Dozens of
individuals, including Hindus, are falling victim to mob justice, while the
perpetrators of these gruesome crimes enjoy impunity.
Islamists are also staging public demonstrations in Dhaka with the intent to
obstruct Hindus from celebrating the upcoming festival of Durga Puja. State
machinery, including security agencies, is granting patronage to these
anti-Hindu activities.
Notably, Muhammad Yunus is one of the major donors to the Clinton Foundation.
According to a cable leaked by Wikileaks, in 2007, Hillary Clinton made frantic
efforts and exerted pressure on the Bangladesh Army to appoint her friend Yunus
as head of the then military-backed interim government.
Since Yunus enjoys the full support of the Biden-Harris administration, as well
as Democratic Party leaders such as former President Barack Obama, former US
President William Jefferson Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, not one of the rights groups, including Amnesty International or Human
Rights Watch, has issued a statement condemning the attacks, rapes and murders
in Bangladesh.
On September 26, 2024, during his U.S. visit to attend the UN General Assembly,
Muhammad Yunus was honored at a reception by the Clinton Global Initiative, an
event also attended by Bill Clinton. During the event, Bill Clinton praised
Mahfuz Alam, a leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir, who led the Islamist uprising in
Bangladesh.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an anti-democratic Islamist organization that advocates for
the establishment of a caliphate. It is banned in Bangladesh and several other
countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
The rise of Islamist forces and the increasing influence of figures such as
Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh, coupled with the tacit support of powerful
international actors, signals a dangerous shift in the country's political
landscape. As extremist groups grow bolder, religious minorities, particularly
Hindus, are bearing the brunt of the violence, while global powers remain
disturbingly silent.
With the Biden administration and influential figures such as the Clintons
seemingly turning a blind eye, the question arises: will Bangladesh's descent
into radicalism continue unchecked, or will the international community finally
confront the growing Talibanization threatening the stability of the region??
**Keya Mukherjee is a freelance journalist specializing in Asian and global
affairs.
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Recent IDF casualties show deadly drone threat from Iraq,
Yemen is increasing - analysis
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/October 05/2024
The Iranian-backed drone programs that proliferated in the Middle East in recent
years have become increasingly deadly.
Updated: OCTOBER 4, 2024 18:58 Two Israeli soldiers were killed by a drone
attack from Iraq. The soldiers, members of the Golani Brigade’s 13th battalion,
were killed by a drone launched from Iraq on October 3. Their deaths were
announced on Friday. The attack involved two drones, one of which was downed by
Israel. Soldiers were also wounded in the attack. This is one of a number of
recent drone attacks against Israel. The IDF has intercepted UAVs off the coast
of Israel in recent days and drone threats near Beit Shean.
The drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) threat against Israel has been
growing for years. Hezbollah stockpiled an estimated 2,000 drones in its
arsenal, some of them small drones such as commercially available quadcopter
types, and some of them larger kamikaze drones whose technology is based on
Iranian success in developing similar drones. The Houthis in Yemen have been
using drones for almost a decade. In 2020, the Iranian Shahed 136 arrived in
Yemen to be used by the Houthis. This V-shaped design drone is the mainstay of
Iran’s drone exports these days. It carries a warhead and has a long-range,
around 2,000 miles. Iran exported it to Russia to be used against Ukraine. In
addition, Iraqi militias have acquired drones. They used the drones initially to
target US forces based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In January, the
Iranian-backed terrorist group Kataib Hezbollah killed three US service members
in a drone attack on Jordan. Kataib Hezbollah has also threatened Saudi Arabia
with drone attacks in the past. The Houthis have used drones against Saudi
Arabia and threatened other Gulf states, as well as attacking ships with drones.
The Iranian-backed drone programs that proliferated in the Middle East in recent
years have become increasingly deadly. The commercial oil tanker Mercer Street
was struck by a drone in July 2021, killing two crew members. A drone launched
from Iran’s Chabahar also struck the Pacific Zircon ship in November 2022.
Strikes on the mainland
Now, Iran and its proxies have turned their drone armies on Israel. Iran used
drones in its April attack on Israel. The Houthis have targeted Israel numerous
times with drones. A drone launched from Yemen killed an Israeli in Tel Aviv in
July. Israel responded by striking Hodeidah in Yemen. However, this has not
deterred the Houthis. They have continued to threaten Israel with drones and
long-range ballistic missiles.
Hezbollah has used kamikaze drones often in eleven months of war on Israel. It
is estimated that several hundred UAVs were launched by Hezbollah. They also use
drones for surveillance. In August, an IDF soldier was killed in a Hezbollah
drone attack. In late September, the IDF eliminated the head of Hezbollah’s
drone unit. The Iraqi militias have increased their capabilities using drone
attacks on Israel. On September 25, a drone launched from Iraq impacted Eilat.
On September 29, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of
Iranian-backed militias, claimed they targeted Eilat with another drone attack.
On September 28, they also claimed they targeted the Golan with drones.
They made similar claims on September 23 and September 25. This came as the IDF
began its operation Northern Arrows in Lebanon against Hezbollah. The Iraqi
militias have increased attacks in recent days.
In the latest claim by the Iraqi militias, they claimed on October 4 that they
targeted an area in southern Israel. "We hit a target in the south of the
occupied Palestinian territories by means of an advanced drone." The
Iranian-backed groups in Iraq also told Iranian media state media that “over the
past week and months, the Iraqi resistance had also targeted sensitive and
important targets in Eilat, located in the south.” In the morning of October 4,
the IDF said, “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago regarding a
hostile aircraft infiltration in the area of the Beit She'an Valley, the IAF
successfully intercepted a hostile aircraft that crossed into Israeli territory
from the east.” On October 3, the IDF also said that it “intercepted a UAV in
southern Israel. No injuries were reported.” In addition, in the morning, the
IDF said, “Two UAVs were identified crossing from Lebanon. The IAF intercepted a
UAV off the coast of Nahariya, and a fallen projectile was identified in an open
area. No injuries were reported. No sirens were sounded in accordance with
protocol.”
In the early hours of the same morning, the Israeli military said, “the sirens
that sounded in Bat Yam, two UAVs were identified. The IAF intercepted one UAV
off the coast of the Dan area, and a fallen UAV was identified in an open area.
No injuries were reported.”
Fake Solutions for a Real Problem
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2024
Although the war, or in fact wars, triggered against Israel by Hamas are far
from over, global punditry is already regimented in a cacophonic chorus to tell
the protagonists what to do and what not to do.In fact, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s
decision to try and save face by firing missiles at Israel could expand rather
than shrink a battlefield that covers a large chunk of the Middle East down to
Yemen. It is too early to decide whether the ayatollah has walked into a trap
set to force him into a direct clash with Israel, something he manifestly tried
to avoid. But one thing is certain: his 30-year long policy of using costly
proxies to keep war away from Iran has failed. Now he may be forced into doing
his own fighting.Depending on how far this goes Khamenei’s latest move could put
the very fate of his regime in the bargain. Those who have turned real or
imagined victimhood into the sole criterion for dispensing fake sympathy want
Israel to call it a day and settle for a ceasefire even if the “other sides”,
that is to say the five H groups, Hamas, Hezbollah, Hashd al-Shaabi, the Houthis
and “Imam” Ali Khamenei don’t give up their declared goal of “wiping the Zionist
entity” off the map.
Some allies of Israel, notably the United States claim that having “degraded”
Hamas and Hezbollah it is time for Israeli leaders to settle for a half-time
pose.
Others like Great Britain have gone further by announcing a moratorium on sale
of arms to Israel as a stick to encourage ceasefire. Other voices, including
some inside Israel call for a pause in the hope of persuading Hamas to release
the hostages and Hezbollah to stop rocket attacks on Jewish villages. The knife
left in the wound in 1948 led to even bigger knives in deeper wounds in 1967.
Israel’s many wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, though theoretically on a smaller
scale, produced more victims and opened larger wounds than 1948 and 1967 did.
The current wars that started almost a year ago have also produced more victims
than Russia’s war in Ukraine has done in almost two years. In classical Greek
tragedies the chorus does not intervene to halt the action of protagonists. It
comments, shows empathy or antipathy but knows that events must take their
tragic course to a catharsis.
Even an intervention by a deus ex-machina prop cannot lead the action into a
fish-tail of uncertainty. Just as a tragedy that does not complete its full
course isn’t a tragedy, and risks morphing into black comedy, a war that is not
allowed to do what a war is designed to do that is to say create clear winners
and losers would be a carnavalesque waste of blood and treasure.
Another part of the global chorus has already embarked on “peace-making”
hallucinations by suggesting “solutions” to what is labeled “the Arab-Israeli
problem.” The American magazine Foreign Affairs tries to revive the bitter joke
of a “two-state” solution with a new slant.
It suggests that a Palestinian and an Israeli state should be created alongside
each other but with no borders, allowing each other’s citizens to reside in
either of the two states. It is not clear who the “creator” of the two imaginary
states would be, in effect turning both the Palestinians and Israelis into
objects in their own history. Islamic Republic’s President Masoud Pezeshkian
says peace could come only if Israel and Iran are disarmed and an international
force is deployed in the Middle East.
The wise men of the New York Times claim that the revival of the Obama “nuclear
deal” with Tehran would do the trick, thus implicitly holding the Iranian
mullahs responsible for the current wars. The subtext is: surrender to Tehran so
that it orders its five “H” hounds to return to their niches. Since World War II
we have witnessed dozens of wars, big and small; all of which ended when war did
what it is supposed to do that is to say decide who won and who lost thus
allowing the emergence of a new status quo capable of offering stability if not
everlasting peace.
The current wars have provided the global chorus with ample opportunity for
virtue-signaling of the most cynical type. Contract-deprived stand-up comedians,
half-forgotten pop-stars and academics experts in victimology say they are
allocating part of their income to Gazan and Lebanese orphans. Ayatollah Ahmad
Alam al-Hoda of Mash’had has chosen a cheaper option: an extra evening prayer
for Hamas and Hezbollah. An Iraqi poet, seldom praised for his literary prowess,
has committed an encomium for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Wrecking the furniture in universities and burning the Israeli and American
flags may produce feel-good moments but are unlikely to pave the way to peace.
One typical illusion of leftist French intellectuals of the past century or so
has been their belief that, thanks to Cartesian wisdom, whenever there is a
problem a solution lust also be at hand; all we need to do is to find and apply
it.
In real life, however, there are problems that have no solution within a
reasonable span of time and space. In such cases one risks conjuring ersatz
solutions of the kind Foreign Affairs, The New York Times and the new French
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot who suggests priority for rebuilding Lebanon
suggest. Khamenei’s opening gambit may lead to a real clash of two visions for
the Middle East. Khamenei wants to make the whole region look like his Islamic
Republic. In a fiery speech on Sunday Benjamin Netanyahu declared his ambition
to make the Islamic Republic look like the rest of the region that is to say
swallow the bitter pill of accepting Israel as a reality. At the risk of
appearing as part of the very same chorus I am denouncing may I suggest that
Netanyahu put his cellphone on silence for all those who hope to second-guess
him on the course he has adopted which is to let the current war to determine
clear winners and losers?
Tehran… Tel Aviv… On Course For Escalation
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lost control over the situation.
He escalated the confrontation to unprecedented levels, compelling Tehran to
retaliate. While the latter’s retaliation was constrained, the results will not
be. Netanyahu is pushing Iran to take actions it had avoided for nearly a year.
The cycle of attacks and retaliations is pushing the two countries closer to the
direct clash Netanyahu has been seeking since October 7th and Tehran has been
avoiding for decades. Iran launched 200 hypersonic missiles at Israeli targets
in occupied Palestine on Tuesday. This retaliation is a turning point in the
struggle between the two countries, but the magnitude of the strike was by no
means equivalent to that of Israel’s strikes. Moreover, it will not be enough to
reestablish the balance of power between the two sides; rather, it should be
seen as an attempt to regain the initiative.
Taking action to regain the initiative, even late on, is arguably better than
not doing so at all. Did it delay its push to take back the initiative in order
to alleviate suffering or address injustices? If we look at it from a religious
framework- indeed the Iranian regime has a theocratic ideology but pursues a
pragmatic strategy- we find that the regime continues to insist on combining the
two in confronting what is the most challenging phase it has ever been in.
Tehran is trying to restore its image on two intertwined levels through the
grand spectacle of its delayed reprisal for the assassination of Hamas leader
Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah, who was killed alongside the Lebanon and Syria commander of the Quds
Force, General Abbas Nilforoushan...
First, it wants to reverse the erosion of its proxies’ trust, as well as that of
their supporters. Initially, criticism of its inaction was voiced in whispers,
but it grew increasingly more audible as the its “unity of the arenas” strategy
was only implemented when it served Iran’s national security interests (but not
when it served Gaza) over the past year. This pushed some to publicly accuse
Iran of abandoning Hezbollah, or leaving it exposed, through statements by its
officials, which many blamed for the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
All the people of Lebanon, especially the supporters of Hezbollah, made this
accusation and complained that Iran prioritizes its national security as Lebanon
is being threatened with a third Israeli invasion. The second level has both
international and domestic dimensions. Iran desperately needs to restore its
reputation and build back its prestige, but it seeks to avoid seeing things get
out of control, primarily for domestic consideration. It is evident that the
majority of Iranians do not want their country to engage in a war that they do
not see as not their own. They are not willing to fit the bill for the defense
of any cause or struggle that is not a national priority. Even some among Iran’s
ruling elites, including hardliners who want to wipe Israel off the map, want to
avoid a conflict that threatens the regime's survival. Thus, a calibrated
response was the option Iran opted for, leaving it to Washington to manage or
contain Israel’s retaliation.
Regarding the strategy of constraints, the Iranian government spokesperson
emphasized that their posture is defensive, not offensive, addressing both
domestic and international audiences. Globally, particularly in Washington, we
are seeing an effort to prevent Netanyahu's recklessness from taking things too
far. Most of all, the goal is to isolate the reprisal from Iran’s nuclear
program, which Washington manages alone.
Thus, an Israeli attack on targets within Iran is very likely, but nuclear and
(probably) oil facilities will not be targeted. Accordingly, if it does
retaliate, Iran will have room to decide how to respond to Tel Aviv's
retaliation. Iran hopes this will establish new rules of engagement. However,
Tel Aviv, which is pushing the region towards escalation, will not necessarily
adhere to these rules.