Israel Update 23.10.24

IRAN

 

 

The Oct 1 missile attack  by Iran on Israel caused an estimated 150 billion to 200 billion shekels ($40 million to $53 million) in damage to private property. Some 2,500 claims were submitted following the Oct. 1 attack, more than half for damage to apartments and several businesses near north Tel Aviv. One of the epicenters was Hod Hasharon, where over 1,000 homes were damaged. Report here

 

 

 

The U.S. is investigating a leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran. The documents, dated Oct. 15 and 16, began circulating online Friday on a Telegram channel  and revealed close surveillance by U.S. intelligence on Israel, including the use of satellites to monitor activities at Israeli Air Force bases. The leak highlights a severe security breach within the U.S. intelligence community, allowing highly classified information to reach entities affiliated with Iran.Report hereand here

 

 

 

 

HIZBULLAH ATTACKS ON ISRAEL FROM LEBANON

 

 

Alexei Popov, 50, was killed on Saturday by Hizbullah rocket shrapnel near Acre. Popov had been returning home from grocery shopping and pulled his car over to the side of the road when the siren sounded, but the explosion occurred before he could exit the vehicle and he was critically injured.

180 Hizbullah rockets wounded 10 people in Israel on Saturday.

Report hereand here (paywall)

 

 

 

Hizbullah is firing hundreds of missiles daily at Israel’s northern communities and a few longer range rockets at central Israel including Tel Aviv which has been targeted every day this week so far..

On Monday evening Ben Gurion airport closed briefly.  he IDF said that helicopters and fighter jets intercepted and shot down five drones over the Mediterranean Sea, before they entered Israeli airspace.A loud explosion heard in Tel Aviv and the Sharon region was caused by a rocket fired from Lebanon that landed in an open area.

For an idea of the daily alerts Israelis face breaking news here

During this morning’s barrage on the North a building was hit and substantially damaged. Report here

 

 

A drone  fired from Lebanon at P.M. Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea on Saturday hit and caused damage to his residence when it exploded.

The blast cracked glass in a bedroom window but did not penetrate the home, apparently because of reinforced glass and other protection. Report here

 

 

 

The IDF Spokesman revealed on Monday night that the former Hizbollah Secretary-General Nasrallah’s bunker in southern Beirut which held gold and half a billion dollars in cash.was located underneath a hospital.

The hospital invited journalists to tour the hospital to refute the claim; however the IDF’s Arabic spokesman said that they had not been given access to the bunker stating “To the media personnel who are currently participating in the media tour inside Haret Hreik: go to the specific locations we have revealed and do not waste your time on theatrics inside the medical departments.”Report hereand here

 

 

UNIFIL

 

 

Hizbullah operatives captured in southern Lebanon disclosed during interrogation that they paid off UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) personnel to use their positions, Report here

 

 

A former United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) soldier testified that UNIFIL was “totally subject to Hizbullah” when he worked in Lebanon 10 years ago in a recent interview with a Danish news site.Report here

 

 

METULAH

 

 

Metula is the most northern, most bombed and most dangerous place in Israel. People have five seconds to hit the ground if a rocket or missile is launched.
The town’s 700 families were mostly evacuated. Since Oct. 8, 2023, the town had been hit by 30 drone strikes, 450 Kornet anti-tank missiles, and up to 900 rockets. The IDF said they foiled two infiltration attempts by Hizbullah’s Radwan Force.
A visiting journalist reported: “After 20 minutes, the IDF pulled the plug on the journalists’ tour. Before we could leave, alarms started wailing. We scattered out of the cars and scrambled for cover. Half of the group ended up in a ditch. There were three booming sounds overhead. The rockets had been intercepted. Our convoy left between rocket barrages”.Report here (paywall)

 

 

 

 

GAZA

 

 

Hundreds of Gazan civilians were evacuated from Jabalya in northern Gaza on Monday after hundreds of terrorists had gathered there, turning the local population into human shields. Three weeks ago, the IDF encircled Jabalya to prevent senior field commanders from escaping.Since then, it has neutralized 300 Hamas and PIJ terrorists in close-range engagements. IDF sources say its recent actions have the potential to secure large geographical areas in northern Gaza, dramatically diminishing Hamas’s control. Hundreds of terrorists surrendered over the weekend.Report here

 

 

Civilians in Gaza are being shot by Hamas terrorists while trying to evacuate from Jabalya. Cpl. Shai Gilboa an IDF paramedic  said  that  after terrorists in the area opened fire and wounded some of the Gazans who were trying to flee, “The wounded came to us and we provided them with first aid in the field…” While interactions tended to be limited due to the language barrier, “They smile at us, they wave goodbye at us, they curse Hamas in front of us. Not only are they not afraid of us, a lot of them are on our side.” Report here

 

 

 

Hamas terrorists were captured on video taking control of 47 of 100 aid trucks entering Gaza on Tuesday last week..
The footage shows Hamas first taking over the trucks, including attacking the drivers. If any citizen approaches the trucks, they are immediately fired upon. Humanitarian aid meant for Gazans has instead become a lifeline for Hamas and its continued control of Gaza. Report here

 

 

 

SPIES CAUGHT

 

 

Seven Jewish Israelis of Azeri origin have been arrested for espionage for Iran. They gathered intelligence on sensitive military and infrastructure sites and identified potential human targets. Police officials said the suspects were motivated purely by financial gain.Report here

 

 

Seven eastern Jerusalem residents have been arrested for planning attacks in Israel, including the assassination of an Israeli nuclear scientist and a mayor.  The cell was active for two years. They were given various missions for which they were paid thousands of shekels. Report here

 

 

 

DEATH OF SINWAR

 

 

For months, Israel’s number one target, Yahya Sinwar, architect of the Oct. 7 attacks last year, remained elusive until Israel’s military closed in on Hamas’s underground labyrinth, destroying strategic tunnel complexes.This tactic forced Sinwar to surface. With ever-fewer places to hide, he spent more time above ground in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah in southern Gaza. Report here (paywall)

 

 

According to Hamas documents, Yahya Sinwar’s plan had included overrunning 221 southern Israeli communities and enlisting Iran and Hizbullah to conquer the Galilee and topple Tel Aviv’s skyline. The Oct. 7 atrocities were merely a fraction of what was planned. Sinwar and Hamas’s meticulously crafted strategy aimed at Israel’s complete annihilation within two years. Report here

 

 

 

Footnote: In a video of Sinwar and his family walking through a tunnel, his wife is carrying an alleged Hermes handbag worth $32,000. video here

 

DEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPE

 

 

On Tuesday, the European Leadership Network, released a report on an extensive network of Hamas-affiliated officials and activists throughout Europe who use a “civilian front” of charities and nonprofits to line the pockets of the terrorist group.
The report “Hamas in Europe” says Hamas is most active in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
It details at least a dozen individuals with Hamas ties who are living in Europe while they fundraise, lobby for, and make media appearances on behalf of the terrorist group. The U.S. Treasury Department estimated that since early 2024, Hamas has received as much as $10 million a month from fraudulent groups, most of which are located in Europe.Report here

 

 

A conference commending Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, named “the Al-Aqsa Flood,” convened in Istanbul recently.
The opening speaker was Hamas official Osama Hamdan, who lauded the massacre and predicted a future in which Israel does not appear on the map.
Another main speaker was former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad, who stressed that Israelis and Zionists control the world.
Other speakers included Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff of the U.S. State Department under Colin Powell, who argued that the war was initiated by   Israel and prophesied that Israel as a Jewish state will soon cease to exist.
ormer U.S. Marines intelligence officer Scott Ritter claimed that the entire world owes Hamas gratitude for the attack.Report here

 

 

A 13-year-old boy in Gothenburg, Sweden, was caught last week firing shots outside the offices of Israeli tech firm Elbit Systems. There have been several such incidents this year.
Earlier in October, Israel’s embassies were targeted both in Stockholm, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sweden’s security service Sapo said Iran may have had a hand in both.
Months ago, Sapo accused Iran of recruiting Swedish gang members to carry out attacks on Israeli or Jewish interests. Counter-intelligence chief Daniel Stenling said Sapo “can now confirm that criminal networks in Sweden are proxies that Iran uses.”Report here

 

 

 

WATER TECH

 

 

Across Europe, nearly a quarter of water goes to waste but new technologies using satellite imagery, can identify leaks.

Companies such as Asterra, an Israeli firm, offer a service called Recover which uses satellite-based radar to monitor moisture levels both above and below ground. An ai model then flags anomalies, including sodden areas that might be evidence of a leak. Asterra says Recover is now saving the world over 368bn gallons of drinkable water every year.Article here (paywall)

 

 

 

COMMENT & OPINION

 

Hizbullah

 

 

Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah:
The elimination of Hizbullah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is affecting the Lebanese body politic. Muslim, Druze and Christian parties are seeking an immediate ceasefire, the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south of Lebanon (replacing Hizbullah’s presence in the area).  Iran has imposed its political will on Lebanon and has  Iran nominated a high-ranking Iranian officer to run the collective leadership of Hizbullah, while its military advisers conduct military operations against Israel in the absence of a field leadership almost annihilated by Israel.
At the same time, Hizbullah has lost some of its positions of strength in Lebanon. According to various sources, the international Rafiq Hariri Airport in Lebanon and Beirut Port, which were run solely by Hizbullah, have been transferred to the control of the Lebanese army.Article here

 

 

Dan Perry: The world needs to be reminded of a fundamental truth: Hizbullah is the enemy of Lebanon. Its defeat would be a huge favour to the Lebanese, and to a functioning world order. Israel is completely in the right in its campaign against Hizbullah, which imposed its will on Lebanon and served as a proxy for Iranian interests in the region, most notably by launching attacks against Israel. Hizbullah became the world’s strongest non-state army, overshadowing the Lebanese military through steady funding, weapons supply and training by Iran.
Hizbullah claims to be a “resistance movement” but there is nothing to resist. Israel has no claims on Lebanon beyond protecting itself. Hizbullah’s real purpose is to provide Iran with a foothold on Israel’s northern border, ensuring that any Israeli action against Iran, such as a preemptive strike on its nuclear facilities, can be met with retaliation, whatever the cost to Lebanon.
There is no reasonable way to explain the lack of sympathy for Israel’s plight. Hizbullah has been attacking Israel with rocketing, shelling and drone attacks since Oct. 8, 2023, forcing 60,000 Israelis from their homes. The calls for Israel to essentially accept the situation represent a double-standard. No other country would accept such a situation, including the U.S. Article here

 

 

UNIFIL

 

 

Aluf Benn:the UN (UNIFIL) troops never reported the extensive military infrastructure that Hizbullah deployed along the border as part of its plan to capture the Galilee. Instead, it produces reports that include piles of bureaucratic text about the training of staff members and local officials…Brig.-Gen. (res.) Assaf Orion, who was in charge of communications between the Israeli army and the UN forces, calls the situation an arrangement of convenience built on a pyramid of lies. Hizbullah benefits from a human shield to conceal its activities, and also from the money that UNIFIL spends in Shi’ite villages. The Lebanese government and army receive international legitimacy and assistance, while Western governments clear their consciences and “support Lebanon.” Article here (paywall)

 

 

WSJ Editorial:The UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL had one job: Keep armed terrorists out of southern Lebanon, where they could shoot at Israel. It failed so abysmally that Israel has had to go to war to clear out the terrorists. UNIFIL refuses to fight, refuses to move, and blames Israel for putting its non-peacekeepers at risk.
UNIFIL has allowed Hizbullah to entrench itself in southern Lebanon, storing arms in homes and building a network of fully stocked attack tunnels and weapons depots in preparation for an Oct. 7-style assault. Israeli troops have found a tunnel 100 meters from a UNIFIL outpost. For 11 months Hizbullah fired 8,500 rockets and missiles at Israel from Lebanon, under UNIFIL’s nose.
Israeli troops entered Lebanon on Oct. 1 and requested several times that UNIFIL move out of harm’s way. But the peacekeepers won’t budge, though there’s no peace to keep. UNIFIL finally seems to have found its calling: Getting in Israel’s way. France, Spain and Italy express “outrage” at the injuring of two UNFIL troops. These injuries are regrettable, but they show that it isn’t safe to remain in a war zone. Where was this diplomatic energy when Hizbullah dominated the area, and used it to force the depopulation of Israel’s north? Editorial here (paywall)

 

 

Eugene Kontorovich:  UN peacekeepers come from places like Ghana and Bangladesh. They have little motive or incentive to risk their lives to protect Jews from Islamist Shiites. Most contingents participate in peacekeeping because the UN pays contributing nations $17,000 a year for each peacekeeper, far above military salaries in most countries.Article here (paywall)

 

 

 

Death of Sinwar

 

WSJ Editorial:President Biden issued a statement Thursday on the Sinwar news, calling it “a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.” He’s right, as Sinwar was a U.S. designated terrorist and had the blood of many Americans on his hands. Hamas still holds hostages who are American citizens.
But it’s worth recalling that Mr. Biden has pressured Mr. Netanyahu and his government for months to stop the war in Gaza. The U.S. counseled against a major military campaign against Hamas. Then he tried to bully Israel against sending troops into the city of Rafah, where Sinwar was thought to be hiding.
Israel has shown through its fortitude since Oct. 7 that the best way to deter an adversary is to demonstrate ferocious retribution for murdering its people. It deserves support as it continues to re-establish that deterrence.Editorial here (paywall)

 

 

 

Telegraph Editorial; If Sir Keir Starmer and President Joe Biden had got their way, Israel would have been forced into accepting a ceasefire months ago that would have left Sinwar at large, and Hamas’s military network considerably more capable.
Indeed, at one point Mr. Biden stated that he would cut the supply of arms to Jerusalem if Israeli forces entered the city of Rafah. Rafah is where Sinwar was eventually caught and killed.
Predictably, Sir Keir and Mr. Biden have seized on this triumph to once again attempt to pressure Israel into negotiating with Hamas. Despite the mounting evidence, neither appears to be willing to accept the clear fact that Israel knows how to prosecute its own conflicts better than they do. Rather than once again assuming that we know better than leaders in Jerusalem what is best for Israel, we should simply offer our support to an ally in its fight for freedom and democracy. Editorial here (paywall)

 

 

Other Comment & Opinion

 

WSJ Editorial:  On Oct. 18, 2023, President Biden announced that humanitarian aid would move from Egypt to Gaza with Israel’s consent “based on the understanding that there will be inspections and that the aid should go to civilians, not to Hamas….If Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people and it will end. As a practical matter, it will stop the international community from being able to provide this aid.”  Now the President has demanded that Israel transfer ever more aid, even as Hamas steals it to keep power over Gaza’s population. On Sunday, the Biden Administration threatened Israel in a letter from senior U.S. officials Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin: Surge aid to Gaza within 30 days or risk a weapons embargo. The timing couldn’t be worse. Israel may soon retaliate against Iran for its recent missile attack, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needs to know that America has Israel’s back.
The Biden team supports Israel, but not the moves that might deliver victory. The Administration suggests it could withhold offensive weapons from Israel – while maintaining missile defence. Under duress, Israel has signalled it will cooperate on the aid. The question is why he so often threatens Israel, and never Hamas or Iran.
The Administration’s threat letter also urges Israel to keep the status quo with UNRWA and schedule Red Cross visits for Hamas prisoners in Israel, which isn’t required for unlawful combatants. Meanwhile, Hamas refuses Red Cross visits to the hostages it holds.  Editorial here (paywall)

 

 

 

Noga Arbel:The Oct. 7 massacre was carried out not only by graduates of the UNRWA education system but also by members of its staff. UNRWA officials have shown no remorse for their schools being used to harbour weapons and terror tunnels…UNRWA’s continued existence has become a threat to Western values.
UNRWA’s net contribution to its “clients” is a negative one. It has kept five generations trapped as eternal refugees, teaching them nothing but hatred and despair.Article here

 

 

Neville Teller: Purveyors of well-intentioned advice to Israel seem to ignore the oft-stated intention of Iran and its satellites in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq to eliminate the Jewish state and its people. Israel’s friends often appear to discount the fact that the nation has been fighting for its very existence from the moment it was established and that the fight is far from won. Who is better able to assess Israel’s best interests – well-meaning friends or Israel itself?
They either fail to appreciate or simply do not believe that Iran has the West and its democratic way of life in its sights just as much as Israel and that by battling the Iranian octopus, Israel is fighting for the West as much as for its own continued existence. Article here